Quantum Transport:

Prof. Supriyo Datta ECE 659 Purdue University

Atom to Transistor

01.17.2003

Lecture 3: The Quantum of Conductance

Ref. Chapter 1.3

Network for Computational Nanotechnology

Retouch on Concepts E FT
0

00:00

Source

Drain

f0

1 h
FT: Thermal Broadening Function

2 h

The expression that weve derived for current is only true if the bias is small.

FT = df

dE

1 1 2 4k BT cosh ( E 2k B T )
kBT

I =

f 0 : Fermi Function

f0 = 1 eE

+1

2 q 1 2 [ f f2] h 1 + 2 1 2 q 2 1 2 df 0 =V h 1 + 2 dE E = E f

Small device with voltage applied, current flows when a level lies between 1 and 2

Since,

df0 f0(E 1) f0(E 2) = (1 2) dE E=E

= qV

df0 dE E = E f

The Thermal Broadening Function Two thermal broadening functions at temperatures T 1 and T2

07:35

T1 T2 < T1

T2
FT = df dE

1 1 FT is the thermal broadening with peak value 1/(4kBT) F = df T dE = 4k BT cosh 2 ( E 2k B T ) Area under curve is 1
As temperature lowers, FT becomes taller, at very low temperatures it tends to a delta function:

lim FT ( E ) = ( E )
T0

G: Conductance

Inserted into the current equation:

2q 2 1 2 I =V FT ( E f ) h 1 + 2

No Upper Limit?
2 q 2 1 2 FT ( E f ) h 1 + 2 take conductance to be:

14:23

For

I =V

G=

I = VG

2 q 2 1 2 FT ( E f ) h 1 +2

a is a fractional compensation component, 0< a <1, since an applied VG component does not actually lower the channel energy levels by

(qVG )eV
(i.e. 1V will not lower the levels by 1eV) Conductance depends on how many levels we have between 1 and 2 Maximum conductance for 1 level:

Conductance as a function of gate voltage Gmax G

G max =

2 q 2 1 2 1 h 1 + 2 4k BT
=Joules;

= E f = ~ qV G e

VG

1 2 2q 2 h =siemens; 1 + 2

1 4 k B T =1/Joules

Peak conductance occurs when e =Ef ~ Let ebe the original unbiased ~ level energy, thus e = e qVG

It appears that G can increase indefinitely with 1 2 1 respect to the ratio: 1 + 2 4 k BT This is not true because of broadening which we have ignored so far.

Broadening and Density of States Broadening of a level

Source Drain

22:50

Example of a Lorentzian Curve

E
e

Broadening 2
2 h

D(E) is a Lorentzian Lorentzian characteristics: peak value of 2/p?; which depends on ?; 1 level has an area of 1 for 1 electron

1 h

D( E ) dE = 1

When we couple to a contact we broaden the energy level in the channel. Level loses discreteness and a broadened continuous density of states D(E) results.

If ? is small, Lorentzian approaches delta function Fourier transforming D(E) we obtain:

/ 2 D(E) = , = 1 + 2 (E )2 + ( / 2)2

e(-iet)/h e-|t|/2t where

can be viewed as the life time of the particle. Broadening in energy Fourier Transform Life time in Time Domain

Density of states tells you the availability of states, not whether they are occupied or not.

Current Expression including Broadening

36:08

Current through a density of states is:

I=

and for low bias:

dE D(E )

2q 1 2 [ f1 ( E ) f 2 ( E )] h 1 + 2

Conductance depends on density of states at the Fermi energy so

G max =
Where,

2 q 2 1 2 I =V dE D ( E ) FT [ E E f ] h 1 + 2
Note: By symmetry FT(E-EF) = FT(EF-E) At low temperature broadening of D(E) is much greater than F T, FT approaches a delta function: FT(Ef-E) = d(Ef -E)

2 q 2 1 2 h 1 +

2 2 = = D ( E f ) max ( 1 + 2 )

max

When will this quantity reach a maximum? Answer: When

q2 4 1 2 h ( 1 + 2 ) 2
4 1 ( 1 +
2 2 2

2q 1 2 I =V dE D( E) FT ( E F E ) h 1 + 2
2

= 1

Gmax =
=

=V

2q2 1 2 D( E f ) h 1 + 2

q2 h

2q 2 77 . 4 S 1 12 . 9 k h

Ohms Law

50:58

For short conductors consider placing levels in series and in parallel Parallel: Conductance = of levels in parallel

Levels in Parallel

2q2 M , where M is the number h

1 2

Series: Not so simple as parallel, series combinations are not ballistic, and electron scattering occurs. L 0 is known as the mean free path (distance an electron travels before encountering an impurity). Therefore, Series Conductance = 2 q [ L 0 ] where L is the total length of the conductor. h L + L0 Parallel Series Combination: G = 2 q
2 2

Levels in Series

M[

L0 ] L + L0

1 2

Note: for L>>L0 we get G = 2 q [ width ] ohms law dependence. h length