On the Concepts of Resistance and Capacitance in Semiconductor Nanostructures

In this thesis, the significance and the range of applicability of the classical concepts of capacitance and resistance to semiconductor nanostructures are investigated. In particular, the combination law for the conductances of two parallel mesoscopic constrictions is discussed, reaching the conclusion that, as long as the bifurcation into parallel constrictions takes place at interfaces not allowing significant interconstriction coupling, conductances add, in the same way as do for macroscopic resistors connected in parallel. Criteria for the design of systems of parallel constrictions for which the addition law breaks down have been found, with the observation that the insertion of a scatterer outside the region with parallel constrictions causes communication between them. The parallel constriction system is investigated from the point of view of shot noise, finding, once again, a behavior analogous to the one of macroscopic devices connected in parallel.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Electrical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2014

Author dc:creator

• Macucci, Massimo

Contributors dc:contributor

• Ravaioli, Umberto

• Engineering, Electronics and Electrical
• Physics, Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics, Condensed Matter

Identifier

(UMI)AAI9411699

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/72016