Resonant tunneling of two-dimensional electrons into one-dimensional subbands of a quantum wire

Abstract

Liquid phase epitaxy regrowth on the edge of in situ cleaved substrates is employed to create a vertical two-dimensional electron gas in a double-barrier tunneling potential. Resonant tunneling of two-dimensional electrons through one-dimensional quantum wire subbands is unambiguously identified by negative differential resistance features in the transport characteristics. The bias positions of these features agree with simple tunneling theory estimates based on conservation laws and the calculated band alignment in the structure under bias.