Abstract
We characterize the linear and nonlinear electron transport in quantum point contacts (QPCs) realized by a hybrid combination of etching and gating. We demonstrate that the strong electron confinement generated through this hybrid QPC process results in quantized subbands with a large energy separation, leading to the observation of robust one-dimensional quantum-transport effects. Measurements of the nonlinear differential conductance reveal an unexpected bunching of curves at 0.20-0.25×2 e2 /h, rather than at the expected value of 0.5×2 e2 /h. Application of a simple analytical model indicates that this bunching is associated with the highly asymmetric manner in which the source-drain voltage is dropped across the QPC near pinch-off and under nonequilibrium conditions.
Original language | English (US) |
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Article number | 013701 |
Journal | Journal of Applied Physics |
Volume | 103 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2008 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy