Abstract
We have studied the time behavior of electron wavepackets traversing one-dimensional potentials. These packets are described as plane wave states that have been cut off to give a sharp initial wavefront. We find that the shift, or delay time, of the main part of the pulse is comparable to that of a Gaussian wavepacket with the same momentum, and that both kinds of pulses have the same broad-pulse (sharp-momentum) limit. This is shown to hold for a general class of potentials. We show explicitly that the steepest descents calculation described by Stevens does not lead to a finite tunneling velocity. An exact expression is given for the packet transmitted through a delta-function barrier, which suggests a new interpretation of the tunneling velocity that has been obtained in other calculations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 509-514 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Superlattices and Microstructures |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1987 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Condensed Matter Physics
Cite this
Tunneling by an electron packet with an initially sharp wavefront. / Teranishi, N.; Kriman, A. M.; Ferry, D. K.
In: Superlattices and Microstructures, Vol. 3, No. 5, 1987, p. 509-514.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Tunneling by an electron packet with an initially sharp wavefront
AU - Teranishi, N.
AU - Kriman, A. M.
AU - Ferry, D. K.
PY - 1987
Y1 - 1987
N2 - We have studied the time behavior of electron wavepackets traversing one-dimensional potentials. These packets are described as plane wave states that have been cut off to give a sharp initial wavefront. We find that the shift, or delay time, of the main part of the pulse is comparable to that of a Gaussian wavepacket with the same momentum, and that both kinds of pulses have the same broad-pulse (sharp-momentum) limit. This is shown to hold for a general class of potentials. We show explicitly that the steepest descents calculation described by Stevens does not lead to a finite tunneling velocity. An exact expression is given for the packet transmitted through a delta-function barrier, which suggests a new interpretation of the tunneling velocity that has been obtained in other calculations.
AB - We have studied the time behavior of electron wavepackets traversing one-dimensional potentials. These packets are described as plane wave states that have been cut off to give a sharp initial wavefront. We find that the shift, or delay time, of the main part of the pulse is comparable to that of a Gaussian wavepacket with the same momentum, and that both kinds of pulses have the same broad-pulse (sharp-momentum) limit. This is shown to hold for a general class of potentials. We show explicitly that the steepest descents calculation described by Stevens does not lead to a finite tunneling velocity. An exact expression is given for the packet transmitted through a delta-function barrier, which suggests a new interpretation of the tunneling velocity that has been obtained in other calculations.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0023562166&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/0749-6036(87)90233-3
DO - 10.1016/0749-6036(87)90233-3
M3 - Article
VL - 3
SP - 509
EP - 514
JO - Superlattices and Microstructures
JF - Superlattices and Microstructures
SN - 0749-6036
IS - 5
ER -