Analysis of resonant tunneling using the equivalent transmission-line model

This paper presents a simple general and exact method for solving resonant tunneling problems in multilayered heterostructures, This method is based on the analogy of wave propagation between the transmission line and the potential structure, By using the proposed method, it is shown that electron wave propagation can be treated as wave propagation on an equivalent circuit and that various problems can be systematically solved by using well-developed circuit functions and circuit matrixes. In particular, our equivalent circuit can be effectively used for analysis of resonant interband tunneling (RIT) structures and resonant tunneling structures including Gamma-X mixing by using the interface matrix, Various properties of the resonant tunneling structure and a guideline for designing new quantum effect devices can be easily obtained, In order to show the validity and usefulness of this method, some numerical examples of InAs-GaSb and GaAs-AlAs potential barrier structures are presented.