Axial tunneling in double-barrier diodes: Combined influence of hydrostatic pressure, electric field and temperature on electronic transport

Abstract

This article provides a detailed analysis at resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs), which consist of a double-barrier quantum well that lets electrons pass through at certain energies. This study is based on the transfer matrix method, integrating the Airy function to accurately solve the Schrodinger equation. The novelty of our work lies in the investigation of the effects of external electric field, pressure, and temperature perturbations on the behavior of eigenstates, which appear when the incident electron energy coincides with the RTD energy levels. We explored several structural configurations to optimize resonance states, particularly two configurations with closer and farther barriers and barrier concentration of 0.4. This allowed us to study the influence hydrostatic pressure on the sensitivity of electronic states, both in the presence and absence of an electric field. An electric field applied opposite to the propagation direction of the electron wave, acts as an additional confining potential, resulting in a shift of the states toward lower energies when a high voltage. Pressure also has a noticeable effect on the displacement of RTD states and, under the influence of an electric field, on the sensitivity of electronic states to hydrostatic pressure. These results provide an in-depth understanding of the influence of these disturbances on the control of electronic states, as well as on the optimization of the resonant tunnel diode and its sensitivity for use as a pressure sensor.