Wave-vector-dependent tunneling transmission characteristics in periodic and quasiperiodic semiconductor superlattices

Wave-vector-dependent tunneling transmission in periodic and quasiperiodic semiconductor superlattices is investigated while the coupling between longitudinal and transverse momentums is taken into account. It is shown that: (1) there exists a transition from tunneling through effective multiple barriers to transport above effective multiple wells with increasing transverse wave number k
xy
; (2) the transmission spectrum for periodic superlattices exhibits resonant domains separated by nonresonant gaps, and the resonance splitting is regular (3) the transmission spectrum for quasiperiodic superlattices exhibits complicated oscillations and selective both singlet and doublet resonances exist in the considered quasiperiodic systems, and there exist more doublet resonances in high-order generations of the Thue-Morse sequence; (4) complete resonant tunneling can occur in the quasiperiodic superlattice.