Microscopic modeling of nonlinear transport in ballistic nanodevices

Abstract

Abstract By using a semi-classical two-dimensional (2-D) Monte Carlo simulation, simple ballistic devices based on AlInAs/InGaAs channels are analyzed. Our simulations qualitativelyreproduce the experimental results in T- and Y-branch junctions as well as in a ballistic rectifier appearing as a result ofelectron ballistic transport. We show that a quantum description of electron transport is not essential for the physical explanation of these results since phase coherence plays no significant role.On the contrary, its origin can be purely classical: the presence ofclassical electron transport and space charge inside the structures.