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Developing emerging technologies in Internet of Things and artificial intelligence requires high-speed, low-power, high-sensitivity, and switchable-functionality strain sensors capable of sensing subtle mechanical stimuli in complex ambience. Resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) are the good candidate for such sensing applications due to the ultrafast transport process, lower tunneling current, and negative differential resistance. However, notably enhancing sensing sensitivity remains one of the greatest challenges for RTD-related strain sensors. Here, we use piezotronic effect to improve sensing performance of strain sensors in double-barrier ZnO nanowire RTDs. This strain sensor not only possesses an ultrahigh gauge factor (GF) 390 GPa−1, two orders of magnitude higher than these reported RTD-based strain sensors, but also can switch the sensitivity with a GF ratio of 160 by adjusting bias voltage in a small range of 0.2 V. By employing Landauer–Büttiker quantum transport theory, we uncover two primary factors governing piezotronic modulation of resonant tunneling transport, i.e., the strain-mediated polarization field for manipulation of quantized subband levels, and the interfacial polarization charges for adjustment of space charge region. These two mechanisms enable strain to induce the negative differential resistance, amplify the peak-valley current ratio, and diminish the resonant bias voltage. These performances can be engineered by the regulation of bias voltage, temperature, and device architectures. Moreover, a strain sensor capable of electrically switching sensing performance within sensitive and insensitive regimes is proposed. This study not only offers a deep insight into piezotronic modulation of resonant tunneling physics, but also advances the RTD towards highly sensitive and multifunctional sensor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this work is to optimize a Quantum Drift Diffusion model (QDD) (V. Romano, M. Torrisi, and R. Tracinà, "Approximate solutions to the quantum drift-diffusion model of semiconductors," J. Math. Phys., vol. 48, p. 023501, 2007; A. El Ayyadi and A. Jüngel, "Semiconductor simulations using a coupled quantum drift-diffusion schrödinger-Poisson model," SIAM J. Appl. Math., vol. 66, no. 2, pp. 554–572, 2005; L. Barletti and C. Cintolesi, "Derivation of isothermal quantum fluid equations with Fermi-Dirac and bose-einstein statistics," J. Stat. Phys., vol. 148, pp. 353–386, 2012) by comparing it with the Boltzmann-Wigner Transport Equation (BWTE) (O. Muscato, "Wigner ensemble Monte Carlo simulation without splitting error of a GaAs resonant tunneling diode," J. Comput. Electron., vol. 20, pp. 2062–2069, 2021) solved using a signed Monte Carlo method (M. Nedjalkov, H. Kosina, S. Selberherr, C. Ringhofer, and D. K. Ferry, "Unified particle approach to Wigner-Boltzmann transport in small semiconductor devices," Phys. Rev. B, vol. 70, pp. 115–319, 2004). A situation of high non equilibrium regime is investigated: electron transport in a Resonant Tunneling Diode (RTD) made of GaAs with two potential barriers in GaAlAs. The range of the suitable voltage bias applied to the RTD is analyzed. We find an acceptable agreement between QDD model and BWTE when the applied bias is low or moderate with a threshold of about 0.225 V over a length of 150 nm; it is found out that the use of a field dependent mobility is crucial for getting a good description of the negative differential conductivity in such a range. At higher bias voltages, we expect that QDD model loses accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We proposed and fabricated a terahertz resonant-tunneling-diode oscillator integrated with two offset slot-ring antennas for high-output power and high-directivity radiation. In this device, the length of the antenna, approximately half the wavelength of the oscillation frequency, enables efficient terahertz radiation. The increased radiation conductance, resulting from the offset and the two slot-ring antennas, enables higher output power. Additionally, radiation directivity can be improved by using two slot-ring antennas. The fabricated device generated high-power oscillation of 1.29 mW at 412 GHz. This is the highest output power of a single electronic device oscillator in the 400 GHz range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, transport properties of a heterojunction based on (5, 0) carbon nanotube and (5,0) indium nitride nanotube were investigated using Density Functional Theory combined with Non-Equilibrium Green's Function formalisms. Based on the results reported here, under the low bias condition, Negative Differential Resistance (NDR) behavior could be observed due to the suppression of the conduction channels at a certain bias. The peaks and valleys in the transmission profile arising from resonant tunneling phenomenon confirmed the observed NDR. It, thus, appears that the (5, 0) CNT-InN nanotube heterojunction may be a favorable candidate for future nanoelectronic devices based on the resonant tunneling behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last two decades, rapid advancements in RT oscillators that use resonant tunneling diodes (RTDs) have been reported, with operations approaching the limits of electronic device oscillators. Although RTD devices are known for HF operation, milliwatt-level high-output powers have been recently obtained using a single device. Moreover, interesting operations using feedback and injection locking phenomena are also emerging. This paper outlines the basic oscillation principles, oscillation characteristics, and applications of RTD devices. Unlike previous reviews, the basic parts include harmonic signal generation, the construction of resonators and antennas, and bias circuits, which have been newly summarized. A graphical method for determining oscillation is introduced, and the oscillator characteristics are summarized in terms of new indicators, such as power density. This paper also includes the modulation characteristics of the intrinsic part of the device, spectral changes owing to feedback, and the characteristics of the RTD device as a receiver.

We proposed and fabricated a terahertz resonant-tunneling-diode oscillator integrated with two offset slot-ring antennas for high-output power and high-directivity radiation. In this device, the length of the antenna, approximately half the wavelength of the oscillation frequency, enables efficient terahertz radiation. The increased radiation conductance, resulting from the offset and the two slot-ring antennas, enables higher output power. Additionally, radiation directivity can be improved by using two slot-ring antennas. The fabricated device generated high-power oscillation of 1.29 mW at 412 GHz. This is the highest output power of a single electronic device oscillator in the 400 GHz range.

Optical quantum information science and technologies require the capability to generate, control, and detect single or multiple quanta of light. The need to detect individual photons has motivated the development of a variety of novel and refined single-photon detectors (SPDs) with enhanced detector performance. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) and single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) are the top-performer in this field, but alternative promising and innovative devices are emerging. In this review article, we discuss the current state-of-the-art of one such alternative device capable of single-photon counting: the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) single-photon detector. Due to their peculiar photodetection mechanism and current-voltage characteristic with a region of negative differential conductance, RTD single-photon detectors provide, theoretically, several advantages over conventional SPDs, such as an inherently deadtime-free photon-number resolution at elevated temperatures, while offering low dark counts, a low timing jitter, and multiple photon detection modes. This review article brings together our previous studies and current experimental results. We focus on the current limitations of RTD-SPDs and provide detailed design and parameter variations to be potentially employed in next-generation RTD-SPD to improve the figure of merits of these alternative single-photon counting devices. The single-photon detection capability of RTDs without quantum dots is shown. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant tunneling devices are still under study today due to their multiple applications in optoelectronics or logic circuits. In this work, we review an out-of-equilibrium GaAs/AlGaAs double-barrier resonant tunneling diode system, including the effect of donor density and external potentials in a self-consistent way. The calculation method uses the finite-element approach and the Landauer formalism. Quasi-stationary states, transmission probability, current density, cut-off frequency, and conductance are discussed considering variations in the donor density and the width of the central well. For all arrangements, the appearance of negative differential resistance (NDR) is evident, which is a fundamental characteristic of practical applications in devices. Finally, a comparison of the simulation with an experimental double-barrier system based on InGaAs with AlAs barriers reported in the literature has been obtained, evidencing the position and magnitude of the resonance peak in the current correctly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz (THz) imaging is a rapidly growing application motivated by industrial demands including harmless (non-ionizing) security imaging, multilayer paint quality control within the automotive industry, insulating foam non-invasive testing in aerospace, and biomedical diagnostics. One of the key components in the imaging system is the source and detector. This paper gives a brief overview of room temperature THz transceiver technology for imaging applications based on the emerging resonant tunneling diode (RTD) devices. The reported results demonstrate that RTD technology is a very promising candidate to realize compact, low-cost THz imaging systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resonant tunneling diode photodetectors appear to be promising architectures with a simple design for mid-infrared sensing operations at room temperature. We fabricated resonant tunneling devices with GaInAsSb absorbers that allow operation in the 2 – 4 μm range with significant electrical responsivity of 0.97 A/W at 2004 nm to optical readout. This paper characterizes the photosensor response contrasting different operational regimes and offering a comprehensive theoretical analysis of the main physical ingredients that rule the sensor functionalities and affect its performance. We demonstrate how the drift, accumulation, and escape efficiencies of photogenerated carriers influence the electrostatic modulation of the sensor's electrical response and how they allow controlling the device's sensing abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Terahertz (THz) imaging techniques have attracted significant attention and have developed rapidly in recent years. However, despite several advances, these techniques are still not mature, and their high cost and system complexity continue to limit their applications. In this article, the techniques for achieving a practical imaging system with a compact THz transceiver are addressed, while considering the limitations of the current technique. The aim is to provide a brief review of related topics, while also covering our recent progress, which can provide some general perspectives and contrasting approaches for realizing a practical THz imaging system. The continuous wave devices are mainly focused for their flexibility of balancing the imaging resolution and data acquisition time. The importance of transceiver integration is also discussed and illustrated by introducing a 600-GHz band micro-photonic interface for integrating a THz source and detector, with a single resonant tunneling diode as a transceiver. With regard to system issues, spatial sampling with mechanical beam-scanning is discussed as an intermediate approach for moving stage and array technology. The potential and limitations of this approach are evaluated, along with an elliptical reflector as an alternative to an f-theta lens owing to its low cost and simplicity. The combination of integrated devices, along with the mechanical beam-scanning, is also discussed for demonstrating our current concept of realizing a practical THz imaging system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Monte Carlo technique for the solution of the Wigner transport equation has been developed, based on the generation and annihilation of signed particles (Nedjalkov et al. in Phys Rev B 70:115319, 2004). A stochastic algorithm without time discretization error has been recently introduced (Muscato and Wagner in Kinet Relat Models 12(1):59–77, 2019). Its derivation is based on the theory of piecewise deterministic Markov processes. Numerical experiments are performed in the case of a GaAs resonant tunneling diode. Convergence of the time-splitting scheme to the no-splitting algorithm is demonstrated. The no-splitting algorithm is shown to be more efficient in terms of computational effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negative differential resistance (NDR) devices are adequate candidates for the functional devices applicable to the next‐generation integrated circuit technology so‐called "Beyond CMOS." Here, a graphene velocity‐modulation‐barrier resonant‐tunneling diode operating at room temperature is proposed. The current–voltage characteristics of the device are analyzed using the non‐equilibrium Green's function technique. It is found that the Fermi velocity barrier in the well/barrier region manipulates the tunneling transmission probability by suppressing the Klein region and improving the resonant tunneling leading to NDR. For special values of velocity barriers, resonant states have maximum alignment with each other which increases peak current with a high peak to valley ratio (PVR). The width and the position of the NDR window are controlled and engineered by the device dimensions and the height of potential barriers. The smaller the device showed the better the NDR properties such as larger current density and maximum PVR. Taken together, the results reveal that adequate magnitude of the Fermi velocity in graphene barrier can be an impressive concept for the fabrication of emerging tunneling devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we first characterize a superlattice structure created by repeating a heterostructure formed from two armchair graphene nanoribbon (AGNR) segments with different widths. We investigate the electronic and transport properties of this structure by varying its widths and lengths to demonstrate the tunability of its overall band gap. The plot of the local density of states shows the formation of localized states at the low band gap segments of the superlattice. The superlattice is then used as a barrier to create a double barrier quantum well (DBQW) to design a proposed resonant tunneling diode (RTD) structure. We observe this device's negative differential resistance (NDR) operation for a range of bias voltages between the contacts. We study the effect of dimensional parameters on the RTD performance. The non-equilibrium Green's function method, based on a tight-binding model, is employed for numerical computation. • Tight binding approach considering overlapping matrix and hopping parameter up to 3rd nearest neighbor. • Band gap modulation of U-cut edge patterned AGNR. • Transport properties of DBQWs for graphene nanoribbon using Non equilibrium green's function. • LDOS at the quasi bound state due to quantum well. • Performance of graphene based Resonant Tunneling Diode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigated the effect of the central AlGaAs barrier width Lb2 in a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) composed by triple barriers on the current-voltage characteristics, and electronic density of free carriers. In addition, this is a comparative study on the current-voltage characteristics that are produced by a double-barriers and triple-barriers RTD. Our simulation was performed using a non-equilibrium Green’s formalism (NEGF). The results showed that the double-barrier RTD produced a higher current density than the triple-barrier RTD. However, in the triple-barrier RTD, the maximum current was obtained for lower applied bias compared to the double-barrier RTD. The peak to valley current ratio (PVCR) has been evaluated and our results indicate that the double-barrier RTD can produces a higher ratio values compared to those produced by triple-barrier RTD. Our findings also showed that for the triple-barrier RTD, the negative differential resistance (NDR) depended on the width Lb2 of the central barrier. By reducing Lb2, the NDR decreased dramatically and disappeared completely for Lb2 = 3 nm. These results open the door for designing a double and triple-barrier RTD with suitable negative differential resistances. The RTD simulation was performed using the Nanohub tool, which confirms the various results presented in this paper.

Terahertz (THz) imaging is a rapidly growing application motivated by industrial demands including harmless (non-ionizing) security imaging, multilayer paint quality control within the automotive industry, insulating foam non-invasive testing in aerospace, and biomedical diagnostics. One of the key components in the imaging system is the source and detector. This paper gives a brief overview of room temperature THz transceiver technology for imaging applications based on the emerging resonant tunneling diode (RTD) devices. The reported results demonstrate that RTD technology is a very promising candidate to realize compact, low-cost THz imaging systems.

The smooth quantum hydrodynamic model is an extension of the classical hydrodynamic model for semiconductor devices that can handle in a mathematically rigorous way the discontinuities in the potential energy that occur at heterojunction barriers in quantum semiconductor devices. Smooth quantum hydrodynamic model simulations of a GaAs resonant tunneling diode at 300 K with a 5-nm quantum well and 2.5-nm 280 meV double quantum barriers are presented that successfully produce realistic negative differential resistance and hysteresis in the current–voltage curve. This is the first quantum hydrodynamic simulation of hysteresis in the resonant tunneling diode at 300 K, demonstrating that fluid dynamical concepts can model this fundamental quantum mechanical effect even at room temperature. A dispersive quantum term ħ 2 n u xxx / (8 m) in the energy transport equation, where n is the electron density, u is the electron velocity, and m is the effective electron mass, is essential here in obtaining a realistic hysteresis loop in the current–voltage curve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new vertical resonant tunneling devices (RTDs) of different sizes are proposed herein to achieve negative differential resistance with enhanced tunneling and peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) stability. The proposed structures are of the form n+–p−–p+ (S2) and n+–[p−–n+]–p−–p+ (S1) with different electrodes made of parallel graphene nanoribbon and graphene sheet (S2) or bilayer graphene (S1). The results of the simulations show a PVR of 3–3.5 depending on the geometry of the structure, with a maximum current of 10 μA. Also, robust PVR values in the range of 1.2–1.5 are obtained for these structures for a wide range of dimensions. An approximate analytical model for the I–V curve under the assumption of a vertical van der Waals bonding stacked structure as equivalent to the complex horizontal channel is introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional transmission coefficient present in the original Landauer formulation, which is valid for quasi-static scenarios with working frequencies below the inverse of the electron transit time, is substituted by a novel time-dependent displacement current coefficient valid for frequencies above this limit. Our model captures in a simple way the displacement current component of the total current, which at frequencies larger than the inverse of the electron transit time can be more relevant than the particle component. The proposed model is applied to compute the response of a resonant tunneling diode from 10 GHz up to 5 THz. We show that tunneling electron devices are intrinsically nonlinear at such high frequencies, even under small-signal conditions, due to memory effects related to the displacement current. We show that these intrinsic nonlinearities (anharmonicities) represent an advantage, rather than a drawback, as they open the path for tunneling devices in many THz applications, and avoid further device downscaling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we study an efficient approximation algorithm for the Schrödinger–Possion system arising in the resonant tunneling diode (RTD) structure. By following the classical Gummel iterative procedure, we first decouple this nonlinear system and prove the convergence of the iteration method. Then via introducing a novel spatial discrete method, we solve efficiently the decoupled Schrödinger and Possion equations with discontinuous coefficients on no‐uniform meshes at each iterative step, respectively. Compared with the traditional ones, the algorithm considered here not only has a less restriction on the discrete mesh, but also is more accurate. Finally, some numerical experiments are shown to confirm the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel numerical approximation technique for the Wigner transport equation including the spatial variation of the effective mass based on the formulation of an exponential operator within the phase space is derived. In addition, a different perspective for the discretization of the phase space is provided, which finally allows flexible discretization patterns. The formalism is presented by means of a simply structured resonant tunneling diode in the stationary and transient regime utilizing a conduction band Hamilton operator. In order to account for quantum effects within heterostructure devices adequately, the corresponding spatial variation of the effective mass is considered explicitly, which is mostly disregarded in conventional methods. The results are validated by a comparison with the results obtained from the nonequilibrium Green's function approach within the stationary regime assuming the flatband case. Additionally, the proposed approach is utilized to perform a transient analysis of the resonant tunneling diode including the self-consistent Hartree–Fock potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new analytical model for the current–voltage characteristic of a resonant tunneling diode (RTD) is presented herein, being derived from the basic integral of the Tsu–Esaki equation. The model is physics based and developed as a function of material parameters such as the effective mass, barrier heights, and Fermi levels as well as geometrical parameters such as the barrier height and well width. The material chosen for the double-barrier RTD structure is AlGaAs/GaAs. The dependence of the peak transmission on the applied voltage and the scattering effect in the active region, which are neglected in previous models, are also taken into account. The model is implemented and validated using numerical simulations, revealing that the resulting electrical characteristic is in good agreement with numerical simulations using the Green's function formalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the THz current oscillations in resonant tunneling diodes (RTD) oscillators with the transient drift‐diffusion model. The oscillation frequencies have a strong dependence on the biased voltage and doping concentration. With proper biased voltage and doping concentration, the high frequency up to THz can be obtained. The simulations are helpful to deepen the understanding of physical mechanism and guide to improve the performances of RTDs and RTD oscillators. The investigations make RTDs promising candidates as THz sources at room temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we theoretically study the effects of the widths of the central quantum well GaN and the right barrier AlGaN on the spin-polarized currents in resonant tunneling diode based on GaMnN contacts and AlGaN/GaN two barriers. We found that the two spin currents (up and down) can be modulated at low temperature by varying the quantum sizes. Our findings show marked dependence of the spin-current maxima on the quantum well (Lw) width. We report an optimum value of Lw for which the spin-up current reaches its maximum before the spin-down current. Also, we have studied the effect of the right barrier width (Lb2) on the spin currents. We have found that the obtained currents are dramatically reduced by increasing the width of the right barrier at some Lb2 widths (Lb2 =), so that the two spin currents disappear completely. The obtained results can be useful for the experimenters to create efficient spin filters to sustain and modulate the output spin currents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring properties of quantum systems is governed by a stochastic (collapse or state-reduction) law that unavoidably yields an uncertainty (variance) associated with the corresponding mean values. This non-classical source of uncertainty is known to be manifested as noise in the electrical current of nanoscale electron devices, and hence it can flaw the good performance of more complex quantum gates. We propose a protocol to alleviate this quantum uncertainty that consists of (i) redesigning the device to accommodate a large number of electrons inside the active region, either by enlarging the lateral or longitudinal areas of the device and (ii) re-normalizing the total current to the number of electrons. How the above two steps can be accommodated using the present semiconductor technology has been discussed and numerically studied for a resonant tunneling diode and a Mach-Zehnder interferometer, for classical and quantum computations, respectively. It is shown that the resulting protocol formally resembles the so-called collective measurements, although, its practical implementation is substantially different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical modulation characteristics of resonant tunneling diode photodetectors (RTD‐PD) are investigated. Intensity modulated light excites the RTD‐PDs to conduct data experiments. Simple and complex data patterns are used with results showing data rates up to 80 and 200 Mbit/s, respectively. This is the first demonstration of complex modulation using resonant tunneling diodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamic behaviour of resonant tunneling diode-photodetectors (RTD-PDs) in which the excitability can be activated by either electrical noise or optical signals. In both cases, we find the characteristics of the stochastic spiking behavior are not only dependent on the biasing positions but also controlled by the intensity of the input perturbations. Additionally, we explore the ability of RTD-PDs to perform optical signal transmission and neuromorphic spike generation simultaneously. These versatile functions indicate the possibility of making use of RTD-PDs for innovative applications, such as optoelectronic neuromorphic circuits for spike-encoded signaling and data processing.