| I have studied experimentally the quantum transport in multiple-barrier resonant-tunneling devices, namely double-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes (DBRTD) and triple-barrier resonant-tunneling diodes (TBRTD), to understand the tunneling processes in multiple-barrier resonant structures. We have performed various types of transport measurements, such as current, conductance, resonant magnetotunneling spectroscopy and shot noise measurements at low temperature (T=4.2K).; To test the validity of the in-plane momentum conservation rule when electrons tunnel through a multiple-barrier resonant-tunneling device, I have studied in details the current and conductance with and without magnetic field perpendicular to the interfaces. We have found conclusive evidence that though this conservation rule governs the tunneling processes in DBRTD, the conservation rule breaks down in TBRTD. In addition, I have observed profound effect of nonparabolicity in the tunneling processes.; By measuring the shot noise in TBRTDs at low temperature, I have found that the shot noise in a TBRTD is reduced over the Poissonian value, 2 eI, whenever the differential conductance is positive and is enhanced over 2eI when the differential conductance is negative. This behavior, although qualitatively similar to that found in DBRTD, differs from it in important details. In TBRTDs the noise reduction is considerably greater than that predicted by a semiclassical model, and the enhancement does not correlate with the strength of the negative differential conductance. Moreover, I have not observed any signature of the effect of the coherent tunneling on the shot noise suppression in coherently coupled TBRTDs. This suggests that the phase coherence does not have any effect on the shot noise suppression. On the other hand, the failure of a semiclassical model to explain shot noise suppression suggests an incomplete understanding of the noise properties of multiple-barrier heterostructures and a need for more rigorous quantum mechanical model. |
