Quantum behavior in nanoscale ballistic rectifiers and artificial materials

Low-temperature experiments are performed on nanoscale nonlinear devices (ballistic rectifiers) as well as nanostructured artificial materials, fabricated from an InP/InGaAs quantum well wafer. A dc output is generated between the lower and upper contacts of these devices, when an ac voltage is applied between the left and right contacts. As the temperature is lowered from room temperature, the dc output voltage of the ballistic rectifiers gradually changes from negative to positive. Since the negative output at high temperatures has been well understood in the framework of the classical ballistic electron transport, our results indicate that the electron transport comes into a different physical regime at low temperatures. Furthermore, we find that at even lower temperatures, the devices generate a pronounced oscillatory output as a function of the applied bias. Very similar phenomena are observed in the artificial nanomaterials, suggesting the existence of a common mechanism. We present a simple model based on quantum transport, which explains the key phenomena that we have observed at low temperatures. (Less)