Mechanism of electron localization in a quantum wire

B S Shchamkhalova, V A Sablikov

Published 2007-03-09, updated 2007-03-27Version 2

We show that quasi-bound electron states are formed in a quantum wire as a result of electron backscattering in the transition regions between the wire and the electron reservoirs, to which the wire is coupled. The backscattering mechanism is caused by electron density oscillations arising even in smooth transitions due to the reflection of electrons not transmitting through the wire. The quasi-bound states reveal themselves in resonances of the electron transmission probability through the wire. The calculations were carried out within the Hartree-Fock approximation using quasiclassic wavefunctions.