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A new current transport mechanism due to interband tunneling without and with photon assistance
Author(s) -
Henneberger K.,
Enderlein R.
Publication year - 1975
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.2220720211
Subject(s) - quantum tunnelling , condensed matter physics , current (fluid) , charge (physics) , photon , zener diode , physics , materials science , quantum mechanics , voltage , transistor , thermodynamics
Zener tunneling is shown to contribute in two different ways to the total current: firstly, by the intraband contribution of free carriers generated by tunneling and secondly, by an interband current resulting from charge transfer through the gap due to tunneling. The latter contribution is studied in more detail. The considerations are generalized to photonassisted tunneling, i.e. Zener tunneling which is followed by photon‐induced intraband transitions. The interband current is independent of concentration and mobility of free carriers and, consequently, dominates if those are extremely small.