Quantum transport in majority carriers-based devices

A new class of optical switching structures has been recently proposed, the barrier reservoir and quantum well electron transfer structures (BRAQWETS), which are based on the voltage-controlled transfer of electrons in multiple-quantum wells. In such structures the current flow must be very small, and this purpose is achieved by a relatively large potential barrier in the heterostructure. However, at increasing voltage or with certain heterostructure compositions, the current flow is not negligible. The purpose of this paper is to study the transport characteristics in BRAQWET devices, on the basis of the thermionic emission at each layer interface.