Temperature-Induced Revolving Effect of Electronic Flow in Asymmetric Double-Barrier Semiconductor Heterostructures
Résumé
We theoretically report a remarkable revolving effect of electron flow when applying a lattice temperature gradient across an asymmetric double-barrier heterostructure. Depending on the lattice temperature increase/decrease, we demonstrate that electrons respectively absorb/emit a phonon and subsequently go back to the reservoir from which they have been injected. Our simulation code, which self-consistently solves the non-equilibrium Green's function framework and the heat equation, is capable to calculate the electron temperature and electrochemical potential inside the device. By investigating those non-equilibrium thermodynamic quantities, we show that the revolving effect is due to the sign inversion of the local electron distribution. In particular, simulation results evidenced a variation of the electrochemical potential inside the device to compensate the temperature gradient, and to maintain the electrostatic neutrality in the access regions. Finally, we propose an analytic model which provides an intuitive picture of the effect, and discuss the possibility to use such a behavior in the new context of heat management in nano-structures.
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