Coherent patterns and self-focusing of electrons by a thin nonlinear barrier

✍ Scribed by O.M. Bulashenko; V.A. Kochelap; L.L. Bonilla

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 108 KB
• Volume: 23
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0749-6036
• DOI: 10.1006/spmi.1996.0235

✦ Synopsis

Electron transport across a planar nonlinear barrier where the potential depends selfconsistently on the wave function has been studied. When the amplitude of the incident wave exceeds a certain threshold, a soliton-shaped brightening (darkening) appears on the barrier causing diffraction of the wave. Thus the spontaneously formed transverse pattern can be viewed as a self-induced nonlinear quantum screen. It is shown that the nonlinearity can cause self-focusing of the incident wave into a 'beam', splitting into two 'beams', single or double traces with suppressed reflection or transmission, etc.