Nonequilibrium electrons in tunnel structures under high-voltage injection.

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 UTC 2009 · Phys. Rev. Lett.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.80.134502· OSTI ID:969914

Kopnin, N B; Galperin, Y M; Bergli, J; Vinokur, V M

We investigate electronic distributions in nonequilibrium mesoscopic tunnel junctions subject to a high-voltage bias V under competing electron-electron and electron-phonon relaxations. We derive conditions for reaching quasiequilibrium and show that, though the distribution can still be thermal for low energies where the rate of the electron-electron relaxation exceeds significantly the electron-phonon relaxation rate, it develops a power-law tail at energies of order of eV. In a general case of comparable electron-electron and electron-phonon relaxation rates, this tail leads to emission of high-energy phonons which carry away most of the energy pumped in by the injected current.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL)
• Sponsoring Organization: SC; Academy of Finland; Russian Foundation for Basic Research; Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft; Norwegian Research Council
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 969914
• Report Number(s): ANL/MSD/JA-64496
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev. Lett., Journal Name: Phys. Rev. Lett. Journal Issue: 2009 Vol. 80; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
DISTRIBUTION
ELECTRONS
PHONONS
RELAXATION