Dissipative Chaos in Semiconductor Superlattices
Abstract
We consider the motion of ballistic electrons in a miniband of a semiconductor superlattice (SSL) under the influence of an external, time-periodic electric field. We use the semi-classical balance-equation approach which incorporates elastic and inelastic scattering (as dissipation) and the self-consistent field generated by the electron motion. The coupling of electrons in the miniband to the self-consistent field produces a cooperative nonlinear oscillatory mode which, when interacting with the oscillatory external field and the intrinsic Bloch-type oscillatory mode, can lead to complicated dynamics, including dissipative chaos. For a range of values of the dissipation parameters we determine the regions in the amplitude-frequency plane of the external field in which chaos can occur. Our results suggest that for terahertz external fields of the amplitudes achieved by present-day free electron lasers, chaos may be observable in SSLs. We clarify the nature of this novel nonlinear dynamics in the superlattice-external field system by exploring analogies to the Dicke model of an ensemble of two-level atoms coupled with a resonant cavity field and to Josephson junctions.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.cond-mat/9604173,
title = {Dissipative Chaos in Semiconductor Superlattices},
author = {Kirill N. Alekseev and Gennady P. Berman and David K. Campbell and Ethan H. Cannon and Matthew C. Cargo},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:cond-mat/9604173},
year = {2009}
}
Comments
33 pages, 8 figures