Noise-induced resonance-like phenomena in InP crystals embedded in fluctuating electric fields

• Published in: Journal of statistical mechanics Vol. 2016; no. 5; pp. 54021 - 54033
• Main Authors: Adorno, D Persano, Pizzolato, N, Spagnolo, B
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing and SISSA 20.05.2016
• ISSN: 1742-5468; 1742-5468
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-5468/2016/05/054021

We explore and discuss the complex electron dynamics inside a low-doped n-type InP bulk embedded in a sub-THz electric field, fluctuating for the superimposition of an external source of Gaussian correlated noise. The results presented in this study derive from numerical simulations obtained by means of a multi-valley Monte Carlo approach to simulate the nonlinear transport of electrons inside the semiconductor crystal. The electronic noise characteristics are statistically investigated by calculating the correlation function of the velocity fluctuations, its spectral density and the integrated spectral density, i.e. the total noise power, for different values of both amplitude and frequency of the driving oscillating electric field and for different correlation times of the field fluctuations. Our results show that the nonlinear response of electrons is strongly affected by the field fluctuations. In particular, crucially depending on the relationship between the correlation times of the external Gaussian noise and the timescales of complex phenomena involved in the electron dynamical behavior: (i) electrons self-organize among different valleys, giving rise to intrinsic noise suppression; (ii) this cooperative behavior causes the appearance of a resonance-like phenomenon in the noise spectra.