SYMMETRY-BREAKING AND CHAOS IN ELECTRON-TRANSPORT IN SEMICONDUCTOR SUPERLATTICES

We study the motion of ballistic electrons in a single miniband of a s emiconductor superlattice (SSL) driven by a terahertz laser polarized along the growth direction. We work in the semiclassical balance-equat ion model, including different elastic and inelastic scattering rates, and incorporating the self-consistent electric field generated by ele ctron motion. We explore regions of complex dynamics, which can includ e chaotic behavior and symmetry-breaking. Finally, we estimate the mag nitude of the DC current and voltage that spontaneously appear in regi ons of broken-symmetry fur parameters characteristic of real SSLs. Cop yright (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.