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Self‐focusing of a quantum‐well‐confined electron wave packet interacting with a metal plate
Author(s) -
Bednarek S.,
Szafran B.,
Lis K.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/pssb.200541210
Subject(s) - wave packet , condensed matter physics , electron , quantum , conductor , metal , dissipation , kinetic energy , physics , momentum (technical analysis) , chemistry , materials science , quantum mechanics , composite material , organic chemistry , finance , economics
We consider an electron wave packet formed in a semiconductor quantum well covered by a metal plate and show that the electron packet becomes localized by the interaction with the positive charge it induces on the metal surface. For the metal treated as an ideal conductor the packet moves within the quantum well without changing its shape and preserving its momentum. We show that the dynamical response of the metal leads to dissipation of the electron kinetic energy of the progressive motion. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)