arXiv:cond-mat/9910042AbstractReferencesReviewsResources
Absolute Negative Conductivity and Spontaneous Current Generation in Semiconductor Superlattices with Hot Electrons
Ethan H. Cannon, Feodor V. Kusmartsev, Kirill N. Alekseev, David K. Campbell
Published 1999-10-04Version 1
We study electron transport through a semiconductor superlattice subject to an electric field parallel to and a magnetic field perpendicular to the growth axis. Using a single miniband, semiclassical balance equation model with both elastic and inelastic scattering, we find that (1) the current-voltage characteristic becomes multistable in a large magnetic field; and (2) ``hot'' electrons display novel features in their current-voltage characteristics, including absolute negative conductivity (ANC) and, for sufficiently strong magnetic fields, a spontaneous dc current at zero bias. We discuss possible experimental situations providing the necessary hot electrons to observe the predicted ANC and spontaneous dc current generation.