Balance-equation analysis of hot-carrier Bloch transport in a superlattice miniband

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Abstract
A systematic theoretical study of Bloch electron transport in a superlattice miniband driven by a uniform external electric field parallel to the growth axis is carried out, based upon a recent extension of the balance-equation approach to arbitrary energy bands, with a dynamic force-balance equation for the centre of mass (CM), a variable-mass particle embodying the collective motion of the electrons, and a dynamic energy-balance equation. Analyses of both steady-state transport and the transient response to a step and an impulsive electric field are made for various superlattice systems, assuming tight-binding miniband structure and using parameters appropriate for Gamma -valley electrons in GaAs-based quantum-well superlattices at various lattice temperatures.