Numerical Analysis of Transmission Coefficient of

Double Quantum Well Triple Barrier Structure for

Variable Effective Mass using Transfer Matrix
Technique
Rajit Karmakar Souvik Mukherjee
Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering
RCC Institute of Information Technology RCC Institute of Information Technology
Kolkata, INDIA Kolkata, INDIA
rajit.karmakar@gmail.com souvik.rcc029@gmail.com

Arpan Deyasi
Dept. of Electronics & Communication Engineering
RCC Institute of Information Technology
Kolkata, INDIA
deyasi_arpan@yahoo.co.in

Abstract— Transmission coefficient of a double quantum well
device in presence of infinitely thick contact barriers considering
GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs material composition provides the idea about
probability of resonant tunneling at specific energy values less
than barrier potential. Effects of different barrier width and well
width on transmission coefficient are studied independently, and
also for a specified structure, mole fraction for contact and
middle barriers are independently varied to study transmission
properties using transfer matrix technique. This also leads to the
concept of variable effective mass which is incorporated in the
solution of Schrödinger’s equation, and comparative analysis is
carried out for constant and variable effective mass in order to
make the computation more realistic. Asymmetric potential effect
on transmission coefficient is also observed by virtue of that
consideration.
Keywords- Double-Well Triple-Barrier Structure, Transmission
Coefficient, Variable Effective Mass, Asymmetric potential
I. INTRODUCTION
With the invent of semiconductor nanostructure devices,
present day of VLSI technology is guided along a new
direction where miniaturization is possible beyond the existing
saturation point, and carrier confinement along reduced
dimensions can be realized from quantum wells, wires and dots
which have several micro and optoelectronic applications [1]-
[4]. In the last decade, development of quantum confined
structures has increased a lot and theoretical works to predict
the properties of nanostructures are carried out by several
researchers [5]-[8]. In order to understand the physical
properties of heterostructure devices, knowledge on quantum-
transport processes is essential, which can be predicted by
better mathematical modeling and numerical computation
based on those models with increasing level of sophistication.
Accurate solution thus requires the incorporation of
experimentally obtained material parameters [9]-[10] and their
relative interdependency should also be taken into account.
Intense research work has already been carried out to
compute transmission coefficient [6], [8], [11] in multibarrier
semiconductor heterostructure, along with electronic
conductance and the study of tunneling of a particle through an
arbitrary number of finite rectangular barriers has also been
reported [12]. Extremely narrow dimensional structures can be
made by controlling well width and barrier thickness [6], [12]-
[13]; and transport of electrons in these structures is then
largely governed by a series of energy levels and associated
sub bands [14] which are formed due to the quantization of
carriers in the direction of confinement. Advantage of
molecular beam epitaxy technique is taken for the growth of
thin layers so that the confinement of electrons and tunneling
effects along the growth direction dominate the transport
properties, and recently MOCVD technique is used to fabricate
perfect superlattices and multi-quantum-well structures, which
helps the theoretical researchers to compare with
experimentally obtained results.
Several techniques have already been used by researchers
to solve double quantum-well triple-barrier structure such as
Variational method [15], Airy’s function approach [16],
Weighted potential method [17], Finite element method [18],
Propagation matrix method [19], Transfer matrix technique [2],
[4], [6], [13], [20]-[21]. Comparing all these methods, TMT is
considered as one of the most accurate by eminent researchers For the double well triple barrier structure under
as it can be used effectively to solve second-order differential consideration as shown in fig 1, we consider the solutions to
equations. With this technique, transmission coefficient can be Schrödinger’s equation within each region for E<V.
computed for double quantum-well triple-barrier structure
heterostructure devices [22-23] even with incorporation of The wave functions subject to the variable effective mass
asymmetric effects [24]. condition at the different materials can be written as for the
solution-
The present paper deals with the theoretical computation of
2mb (V  E )
*
transmission coefficient of a double quantum well structure 
with the incorporation of two barrier layers for contact having
2 
2
infinite thickness. Introduction of the concept of variable and
effective mass in the barrier and the well layers makes the
*
analysis more realistic compared to some earlier theoretical 2m w E
researches [8], [16]. As effective mass and barrier potential, k2  
2
both are function of the mole fraction for GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs
heterostructure, so computation of transmission coefficient can where wave-functions are constant throughout the defined
be considered as closer to the physical solution. Conduction regions. For asymmetric potential structure, κ should have
band discontinuity is also regarded to get a better idea about different values depending on the material composition. Using
transmission coefficient, and hence resonant tunneling. transfer-matrix technique (TMT), the final equation can be
Comparative analysis is made for variation of barrier width for formulated as-
some particular well width and vice versa considering both  A K
constant effective mass and variable effective mass cases. Also    M 1 1 M 2 M 3 1 M 4 M 5 1 M 6 M 7 1 M 8   
structure is made potentially asymmetric for the variable  B L
effective mass case to observe the modification in transmission We assume that there are no further reflections can occur
coefficient profiles. Logarithmic scale of transmission and wave function beyond the structure can only have a
coefficient is chosen to study the generated profiles. traveling wave component moving to the right, i.e. the
coefficient L must be zero. Thus equation can be modified as:
II. THEORETICAL ANALYSIS
 A K 
Analysis of the semiconductor heterostructure starts with    M   
well-known time-independent Schrödinger’s equation-  B 0
So transmission coefficient can be given by-
 2 d 2 ( z ) 
  V ( z ) ( z )  E ( z ) KK * 1
2m * dz 2 T (E)   
* *
AA M 11 M 11

III. NUMERICAL COMPUTATION

The quantum structure is first considered with dimensional

fig 1: Solution of Schrödinger’s equation for double quantum-well triple- symmetry i.e. equal width of well and barrier layers, and
barrier heterostructutre transmission coefficient is calculated for both the effective
mass considerations. Fig 2 shows the comparative study, which
Accounting the variation of effective mass across the indicates that probability of transmission reduces for realistic
heterojunction, Schrödinger’s equation is specified in each approach, i.e., when mismatch of effective mass at junctions
region according to fig 1as- are taken into account.
 2 d 2 ( z )
 *
 V ( z ) ( z )  E ( z ) 
2mb dz 2
for z≤0, a≤z≤b, z≥(2a+b)
and
 2 d 2 ( z ) 
 * 2
 E ( z )
2mw dz
for 0≤z≤a, (a+b)≤z≤(2a+b)
with the BenDaniel-Duke boundary condition, i.e, ψ(z) and
1  ( z )
m * z are continuous.

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Fig 2: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
fixed barrier width and well width for constant and variable effective mass
Introduction of dimensional asymmetry for both the type of
effective mass consideration leads to the variation of
transmission coefficient profile within the specified energy
range. Here device is considered as potentially symmetric.
From fig 2, it can be noted that when barrier width is made
greater than well width, transmission probability decreases
compared to the dimensionally symmetric structure as
analyzed, and vice-versa.
Fig 3: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
different barrier width and constant well width for constant and variable
effective mass [lower profile of each pair represents for variable effective
mass and upper profile represents constant effective mass]
Similarly well widths are varied in same way and it is
expected that with increase of well width, resonant tunneling is
possible for lower eigenenergy. Like in previous case, effective
mass dependence on mole fraction decreases the tunneling
probability.
Fig 4: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
different well width and constant barrier width for constant and variable
effective mass [lower profile of each pair represents for variable effective
mass and upper profile represents constant effective mass]
By varying the potentials of both the contact and the middle
layers for a dimensionally symmetric structure with variable
effective mass, transmission coefficient is obtained and
comparison is made with fig 2. With increase of mole fraction,
both potential barrier height and effective mass of barrier
material increases, and hence tunneling probability reduces.
Fig 5: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
fixed barrier width and well width for different material compositions in
barrier layers
For the same dimensional symmetric structure,
incorporation of asymmetric potential profiles in the contact
barrier region for variable effective mass gives a downward
shift of resonance probability conditions with increase of
barrier height. Change of potential is compared with the
symmetric case as evident from fig 5.

Fig 6: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
fixed barrier width and well width for different material compositions in
contact barrier layers when critical barrier is made of Al0.3Ga0.7As
Similarly shift of resonance condition is also observed by
varying potential of the middle barrier compared with contact
barrier. Here one important feature may be observed that
transmission probability exceeds unity value when middle
barrier is potentially lowered compared to the contact barriers.
Fig 7: Comparative profile of transmission coefficients with energy having
fixed barrier width and well width for different material compositions in
critical barrier layer when contact barriers are made of Al0.3Ga0.7As
This is due to the fact that due to lower barrier energy,
carriers traverse the region without tunneling upto a particular
range, i.e. increase of potential of the middle barrier initiates
tunneling phenomenon.
IV. CONCLUSION
The composition of material is very important in
determination of the electrical and optical properties of double
quantum well triple barrier device. By considering the
mismatch of effective mass, it is observed that transmission
coefficient decreases compared to the case when mismatch is
not taken into account. Al composition is varied to make the
structure potentially asymmetric for simulation purpose.
Existence of quasi-bound states can be verified by origin of
resonance peaks, and varying well width and barrier thickness
gives pictorial information of these states. Decrease of mole
fraction, i.e. barrier potential increases transmission
probability. Increasing barrier width decreases transmission
properties, and is increased by increasing well width. In
conclusion, this analysis can be further extended to study the
performance of complex quantum and superlattice structures
exploring its larger bandwidth from application point of view.
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