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C. Pacher

Publications and source records attributed to C. Pacher.

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Biperiodic superlattices and the transparent state

Coquelin et al. studied biperiodic semiconductor superlattices, which consist of alternating cell types, one with wide wells and the other narrow wells, separated by equal strength barriers. If the wells were identical, it would be a simply periodic system of $N = 2n$ half-cells. When asymmetry is introduced, an allowed band splits at the Bragg point into two disjoint allowed bands. The Bragg resonance turns into a transparent state located close to the band edge of the lower(upper) band when the first(second) well is the wider. Analysis of this system gives insight into how band splitting occurs. Further we consider semi-periodic systems having $N= 2n+1$ half-cells. Surprisingly these have very different transmission properties, with an envelope of maximum transmission probability that crosses the envelope of minima at the transparent point.

quant-ph

Vanishing Integral Relations and Expectation Values for Bloch Functions in Finite Domains

Integral identities for particular Bloch functions in finite periodic systems are derived. All following statements are proven for a finite domain consisting of an integer number of unit cells. It is shown that matrix elements of particular Bloch functions with respect to periodic differential operators vanish identically. The real valuedness, the time-independence and a summation property of the expectation values of periodic differential operators applied to superpositions of specific Bloch functions are derived.

cond-mat.other

Resonant tunneling with zero reflection at the classical velocity

An important aspect of resonant tunneling with a probability of unity (thus zero reflection) through a finite region with length l is studied. The relation between the velocity expectation value $<\hat v_{res}>$ restricted to a region of length l and the tunneling time $τ_{res}$ through the same region is calculated. The obtained result is the analogue of the mean velocity in classical mechanics: The velocity expectation value equals exactly the length divided by the tunneling time. This result holds for any potential but is especially relevant for finite periodic potentials and inversion symmetric potentials where resonances show a tunneling probability of unity.

quant-ph

Rigorous derivation of coherent resonant tunneling time and velocity in finite periodic systems

The velocity $v_{res}$ of resonant tunneling electrons in finite periodic structures is analytically calculated in two ways. The first method is based on the fact that a transmission of unity leads to a coincidence of all still competing tunneling time definitions. Thus, having an indisputable resonant tunneling time $τ_{res},$ we apply the natural definition $v_{res}=L/τ_{res}$ to calculate the velocity. For the second method we combine Bloch's theorem with the transfer matrix approach to decompose the wave function into two Bloch waves. Then the expectation value of the velocity is calculated. Both different approaches lead to the same result, showing their physical equivalence. The obtained resonant tunneling velocity $v_{res}$ is smaller or equal to the group velocity times the magnitude of the complex transmission amplitude of the unit cell. Only at energies where the unit cell of the periodic structure has a transmission of unity $v_{res}$ equals the group velocity. Numerical calculations for a GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice are performed. For typical parameters the resonant velocity is below one third of the group velocity.

quant-ph