Hot hole effects in single barrier p-type GaAs/(AlGa)As/GaAs tunnel structures

Abstract
Oscillatory structure in the low‐temperature current‐voltage characteristics of Be‐doped p‐type GaAs/(AlGa)As/GaAs single barrier tunneling devices is observed. The oscillations have period ΔV=39 mV, close to ℏωL/e, where ℏωL is the longitudinal optic (LO) phonon energy in GaAs. They result from energy relaxation of hot holes injected through the tunnel barrier. The oscillatory amplitude varies as exp(Ea/2kT), where Ea is the ionization energy of the Be acceptors.