Journal article · Preprint article
Single-electron transport driven by surface acoustic waves: Moving quantum dots versus short barriers
Polymers for Biological and Medical Technology, Polymer Department, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark1
Polymer Department, Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark2
Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy, Technical University of Denmark3
Department of Physics, Technical University of Denmark4
We have investigated the response of the acoustoelectric-current driven by a surface-acoustic wave through a quantum point contact in the closed-channel regime. Under proper conditions, the current develops plateaus at integer multiples of ef when the frequency f of the surface-acoustic wave or the gate voltage V-g of the point contact is varied.
A pronounced 1.1 MHz beat period of the current indicates that the interference of the surface-acoustic wave with reflected waves matters. This is supported by the results obtained after a second independent beam of surface-acoustic wave was added, traveling in opposite direction. We have found that two sub-intervals can be distinguished within the 1.1 MHz modulation period, where two different sets of plateaus dominate the acoustoelectric-current versus gate-voltage characteristics.
In some cases, both types of quantized steps appeared simultaneously, though at different current values, as if they were superposed on each other. Their presence could result from two independent quantization mechanisms for the acoustoelectric-current. We point out that short potential barriers determining the properties of our nominally long constrictions could lead to an additional quantization mechanism, independent from those described in the standard model of 'moving quantum dots.
Language: | English |
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Publisher: | Springer US |
Year: | 2007 |
Pages: | 607-627 |
ISSN: | 15737357 and 00222291 |
Types: | Journal article and Preprint article |
DOI: | 10.1007/s10909-006-9285-6 |
ORCIDs: | Hansen, Jørn Bindslev , 0000-0001-6149-281X and 0009-0007-5838-9046 |