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. 2025 Jan 28;15(1):3521.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87177-3.

Nanoscale nonlocal thermal transport and thermal field emission in high-current resonant tunnel structures

Michael V Davidovich  1 , Igor S Nefedov  1   2 , Olga E Glukhova  1   3 , J Miguel Rubi  4
Affiliations

Nanoscale nonlocal thermal transport and thermal field emission in high-current resonant tunnel structures

Michael V Davidovich et al. Sci Rep. .

Abstract

We present a nonlinear model of thermal field emission in resonant tunneling nanostructures with multiple barriers and potential wells, based on an accurate determination of the quantum potential shape and a rigorous solution of the Schrödinger equation, while considering thermal balance. The model applies to vacuum and semiconductor resonant tunnel diode and triode structures with two and three electrodes and to the general case of two-way tunneling with electrode heating. The complete balance of heat release and transfer is accounted for, with heat transport considered ballistic. This approach can also be extended to the non-stationary case, incorporating the influence of space charge. The short flight time of electrons in such structures makes them promising for the fabrication of THz devices.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Scheme of RTS (inset) with the cathode 1, dielectric layers 2, anode 3, power source 4, grid electrodes 5, and thermostats 6. The plot represents the quantum potential for double-well (curves 1, 2) and single-well (curves 3, 4). Curve 1 is plotted for formula image, and curves 2, 3, 4 for formula image. Voltages: formula image (1, 2), formula image (3), formula image (4), formula image (1,3), formula image (2), formula image (4). formula image, formula image (eV). Dimensions are given in nm.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Transparency coefficient D as a function of electron kinetic energy E (eV) in a triode nanostructure at different voltages (V) on the grid and anode: formula image=3 , Uformula image=0.1 (curve 1), formula image=0.3 (2), formula image=1.0 (3), Eformula image=14.6 eV, W=3.92 eV, tformula image =tformula image=tformula image =3 , tformula image=1 nm.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Dependence of the temperature of the cathode (curve 1), anode (2), the total current density J (3), formula image (4), and formula image (5) (GA/mformula image) in a triode RTS at formula image=7 V , on the voltage at the anode (V). formula image=3 V, Eformula image=14.6, W=3.92 (eV).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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