“Correlation and disorder effects on electron transport in modulation-doped semiconductor quantum point contacts” (invited)

• ABSTRACT We simulate effects of electron localization and quantum correlations in realistic GaAs/AlGaAs quantum point contacts (QPCs) in the presence of randomly distributed donors (1) using spin-relaxed density functional theory (DFT/LSDA). Two different configurations of gates defining the QPCs were studied: a split gate and a top gate in addition to the split gate. In both cases we recover the conventional fluctuation-free parabolic electrostatic potential when the distance between the donor layer and the 2D electron gas exceeds 70 nm.  Hence we also find ballistic phenomena such as integer conductance steps as well as the 0.7 anomaly. The electrostatic potential changes dramatically,however, when the random donors are placed closer to the 2D gas. Electron localization is then increased and conductance fluctuations and resonance peaks appear. At the same time the usual conductance steps vanish. By charging asymmetrically the split gates voltage we have found that conductance fluctuations caused by random donors are shifted while the anomalies caused by interaction effects may remain.  Resonance peaks in the conductance derive from localized states inside within the QPC. The nature of electron localization has been discussed in our previous study (2) where we stress the crucial role of confinement potential on the formation of electron localization. In the present study we have shown that electron localization may be caused by randomly distributed donors and play an important role in electron transport, especially near the pinch-off regime. The results of our numerical simulations agree with recent experimental studies (3).  (1) J.A. Nixon, J.H. Davies, and H.U Baranger, Phys. Rev. B 43, 12638 (1991) (2) I. I. Yakimenko, V. S. Tsykunov and K.-F. Berggren, J. Phys. Condens. Matter 25, 072201 (2013)(3) L.W. Smith, K. J. Thomas, M. Pepper, D. A. Ritchie, I. Farrer, J.P. Griffiths, G.A.C. Jones,  J. of Phys.: Conf. Series  376, 012018,  (2012)

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

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vet (subject category)

kon (subject category)