Structure dependence of tunneling lifetimes in double-barrier structures

Bio-X DNA Computer Consortium, National Key Laboratory of Nano/Micro Fabrication Technology, Key Laboratory for Thin Film and Microfabrication of Ministry of Education, Institute of Micro and Nano Science and Technology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, P.R. China

Corresponding authors: whmdr@hotmail.com yfzhang@sjtu.edu.cn

Received: 25 July 2006
Revised: 29 September 2006
Accepted: 3 October 2006
Published online: 20 December 2006

Abstract

It is known that the structure dependence of the lifetimes of quasi-bound states in rectangular multi-barrier structures is significant but still ambiguous. In this paper, we report the elaborate dependence of the lifetimes of higher quasi-bound states in symmetrical double-barrier structures on structure parameters, such as well width, barrier width and composition mole fraction. Based on the energy uncertainty condition at quasi-bound states method, numerical calculations are carried out to investigate the structure dependence of the lifetimes of higher quasi-bound states. The calculation results show that the lifetimes of higher quasi-bound states vary with structure parameters as a simple and exact function, and that the lifetimes of higher quasi-bound states increase exponentially with structure parameters.