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Nanoelectronic pulse generators based on gated resonant tunnelling diodes
Author(s) -
Wernersson LarsErik,
Lindström Peter,
Nauen André,
Lind Erik
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
international journal of circuit theory and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.364
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1097-007X
pISSN - 0098-9886
DOI - 10.1002/cta.290
Subject(s) - quantum tunnelling , oscillation (cell signaling) , tunnel diode , resonant tunneling diode , diode , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , physics , pulse generator , pulse (music) , generator (circuit theory) , step recovery diode , power (physics) , modulation (music) , engineering , voltage , optics , schottky diode , quantum well , chemistry , laser , acoustics , biochemistry , quantum mechanics
Abstract We study the operation of a gated resonant tunnel diode placed in an oscillator tank circuit for application as a pulse generator. The gated diode is realized by a metal gate placed 30nm away from a resonant tunnelling double barrier heterostructure, where the gate is used to control the current of the tunnelling diode. A large signal model is developed for the gated resonant tunnelling diode and we use this model to study the operation of the pulsed oscillator. It is demonstrated that the gate can be used to switch the oscillations on and off and to tune the oscillation frequency via changes in the internal capacitances in the gated diode. A modulation in the oscillation frequency of 7.6 GHz around 220 GHz is obtained for a change in the gate bias from 0.2 to −0.6V. Short pulses applied to the gate results in only four periods of oscillation with a broad power spectrum. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.