Charge carrier interference in one-dimensional semiconductor rings

Interference of the ballistic charge carriers in one-dimensional (1D) rings formed by two quantum wires in the self-ordered silicon quantum wells was investigated for the first time. The charge carrier transmission coefficien t, which is dependent on the carrier energy, is calculated as a function of the length and modulation depth of the parallel quantum wires. The wires c an be linked to the two-dimensional reservoirs either by the common source- drain system or by the quantum point contacts. It is predicted that the con ductance of a 1D ring in the first case is four times higher than in the se cond due to the carrier interference. The calculated dependences manifest t hemselves in the conductance oscillations observed in the 1D silicon rings upon varying the source-drain voltage or the external magnetic field. The r esults obtained made it possible to design an Aharonov-Bohm interferometer based on a 1D silicon ring in the weak localization mode; its characteristi cs are demonstrated in the studies of the phase coherence in the tunneling of single charge carriers through the quantum point contact. (C) 2000 MAIK "Nauka / Interperiodica".