Long range resonant tunneling in quantum cascade structures

Tunneling transport in a quantum cascade detector is investigated. With regard to coherent transport in quantum cascade lasers, a Kazarinov-Suris approach R. F. Kazarinov and R. A. Suris, {[}Sov. Phys. Semicond. 6, 120 (1972)] needs to be modified through the introduction of an additional Fermi-Dirac factor in order to properly model the experimental data at low temperature. Electronic current is completely dominated by tunneling transport; the model here presented should help to suppress it in the future design of efficient quantum cascade detectors. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. {[}doi: 10.1063/1.3399768]