Transmission coefficient, resonant tunneling lifetime and traversal time in multibarrier semiconductor heterostructure

A computational model based on non-relativistic approach is proposed for the determination of transmission coefficient, resonant tunneling energies, group velocity, resonant tunneling lifetime and traversal time in multibarrier systems (GaAs/AlyGa1-xAs) for the entire energy range epsilon < V-0, epsilon = V-0 and epsilon > V-0, V-0, being the potential barrier height. The resonant energy states were found to group into allowed tunneling bands separated by forbidden gaps. The tunneling lifetime and the traversal time are found to have minimum values at the middle of each allowed, band. Further, It is observed that the electrons with energies in the higher tunneling band could tunnel out faster than those with energies in the lower band. Moreover, an additional resonant peak in resonant energy spectrum indicated the presence of a surface state where resonant tunneling occurs. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.