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We introduce a solid-state version of ballistic electron emission microscopy/spectroscopy (BEEM/BEES) on GaAs–AlGaAs heterostructures using a metal–insulator–metal (MIM) injector structure that replaces the tip of the scanning tunneling microscope (STM). In the present work, the MIM injector is realized by an Al–Al2O3–Al tunnel junction yielding an easy-to-fabricate three-terminal device for ballistic electron spectroscopy. The device principle is applied to several GaAs–AlGaAs structures. The barrier heights obtained from the onsets of the ballistic current spectra are in good agreement with self-consistent calculations as well as earlier experimental results achieved with STM-based BEES.

In this work, ballistic electron transport through the lowest miniband of a biased GaAs–AlGaAs superlattice is investigated by ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM). In the BEEM spectra the miniband manifests itself as clear peak in the second derivative of the ballistic electron current. Biasing the superlattice results in a shift of the miniband position and the corresponding peak position. It is shown that the measured total transmission of the superlattice is in excellent agreement with the calculated transmission, which makes the superlattice a promising tunable energy filter for studying the energetic distribution of ballistic electrons.

Ballistic electron emission spectroscopy and ballistic electron emission microscopy offer the unique possibility of probing subsurface quantum states. To improve the spectroscopic sensitivity, it is important to increase the amount of electrons, which are able to penetrate into the sample. In this work, we show that the transmission coefficient and the attenuation length of the base layer can be enhanced by more than one order of magnitude, if the commonly used thin metal film is replaced by a molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs layer. At low temperatures (T=100 K), a passivated InAs layer yields an attenuation length in the order of 70–90 nm instead of 5 nm obtained on Au films.

This work investigates the spin-torque-related dynamics of nonuniform magnetic vortexlike states in spin-valve nanocontacts, employing an unpinned artificial antiferromagnet as polarizer and amorphous CoFeB as free layer. Subgigahertz spectra are obtained for contacts of 150–200 nm in diameter. Low critical current density and reversibility of the dynamic spectra with respect to the current are obtained. The spectral power and linewidth depend on the in-plane magnetic field, assuming maximum, respectively minimum, values within the free layer’s magnetization switching. For certain field and current windows metastable dynamic states are clearly demonstrated.

Spin valve structures, as employed in base layers of spin valve transistor devices, are characterized by ballistic electron emission microscopy (BEEM). In detail, Co–Cu–Permalloy–Au layers sputtered onto n-type GaAs bulk substrates were studied. BEEM spectra taken on these multilayers show that magnetocurrents on the order of 600% can be achieved even at room temperature. Small area images (400nm×400nm) show that the spin filtering effect of the spin valves is quite homogeneous on the submicron scale. On larger scales, magnetic domains were imaged close to the switching field of the spin valve structure.