The Role Of Phase-Breaking Processes In Indirect-Band Tunneling Barrier Structures

A new description of the observed resonant tunneling effect in single barrier III-V structures are presented, based on inelastic or phase-breaking scattering. Near the interfaces in a GaAs/AlAs/GaAs quantum structure there is a substantial spatial overlap between GAMMA and X states of the GaAs and the AlAs regions, respectively. As a result, the X band in the AlAs barrier layer provides regions of enhanced current-carrying energy states into which GAMMA band electrons can scatter through phase-breaking scattering. In this description, scattered electrons are reinjected into states belonging either to GAMMA or X bands at rates determined by respective density of states.