Nanoelectronic Devices

Chapter 6

Quantum Dot Devices

6.1 Zero-Dimensional Electron Systems

6.1.1 Semiconductor Quantum Dot as ODESs

In Section 5.1, we defined the ideal 1DES and introduced realistic 1DESs that can be fabricated from various types of semiconductors. If the free electron motion in a 1DES is frozen by further confinement in the z-direction (the direction in which electrons freely move in the 1DES), then the system is called a zero-dimensional electron system (0DES). Figure 6.1 shows a conceptual diagram of a 0DES. It is basically the ideal 1DES of Fig. 5.1 with two walls added to the figure to denote the potential confinement, blocking electron motion in the z-direction. Electrons are captured between the potential walls and cannot move freely even in ...