Temperature dependence of current self-oscillations and electric field domains in sequential tunneling doped superlattices

Abstract

We examine how the current--voltage characteristics of a doped weakly coupled superlattice depends on temperature. The drift velocity of a discrete drift model of sequential tunneling in a doped GaAs/AlAs superlattice is calculated as a function of temperature. Numerical simulations and theoretical arguments show that increasing temperature favors the appearance of current self-oscillations at the expense of static electric field domain formation. Our findings agree with available experimental evidence.

7 pages, 5 figures