COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR IN THE SINGLE-ELECTRON CHARGING REGIME THROUGH CLASSICAL MOLECULAR-DYNAMICS

We studied a semiconductor quantum wire having a smooth and continuous double-barrier potential superimposed along its length. The device is prepared at electron densities such that the interelectronic distance is bigger than the Bohr radius in GaAs. The strong Coulomb interactio n between such carriers is accounted for exactly by classical molecula r dynamics methods. We report the presence of charge-density-wave stat es as the main single-electron transport mechanism in this device.