Highlights in Science, Engineering and Technology ESETEP 2024

Volume 104 (2024)

Simulation Analysis of Factors Affecting the Quantum

Tunneling Effect in 1D Double Potential Barriers Structures
Chenyang Liu *
Arizona College of Technology, Hebei University of Technology, Tianjin, China
* Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract. The working principle of a large number of modern scientific equipment has been applied
to the quantum tunneling effect. Although the explanations for the relevant principles of this effect
are clarified, the calculation process is very complex and difficult to understand. Previous studies
combine specific applications without theoretical model references. This study adopts the method of
using the time-independent Schrodinger equation to solve the wave function, which is more
convenient to obtain the expression of transmission probability. Then, one discusses the relationship
between transmission probability and potential barrier width, potential barrier spacing, and incident
particle energy. The experimental results show that the transmission probability decreases
exponentially from 1 to 0 as the potential barrier width gradually increases. As the potential barrier
width increases, the transmission probability exhibits a clear periodic oscillation relationship, the
oscillation period remains unchanged, and this paper derives the relationship between the oscillation
period and the potential barrier width. As the incident energy of particles gradually increases, the
transmission probability exhibits periodic changes, and the minimum value of transmission
probability increases with the periodic changes. Based on the analysis, the smaller the potential
barrier width, the greater the incident energy, and the more likely quantum tunneling occurs.
Keywords: Quantum tunneling, resonant tunneling, double potential barriers.

1. Introduction
Quantum tunneling effect is one of the most important parts in modern physics, which explains
that quantum objects can tunnel through potential barriers (energy barriers) in a way that is impossible
for particles in classical physics. In classical physics, if the incident energy of a particle is greater
than the height of the potential barrier, the particles will all cross the potential barrier without
reflection; If the incident energy of a particle is less than the height of the potential barrier, then all
particles should be reflected by the potential barrier and cannot pass through it [1]. However, in the
system of quantum mechanics, any particle passing through a finite width potential barrier, regardless
of the magnitude of the incident energy, has a certain probability of passing through or being reflected
by the potential barrier.
A large number of modern devices have utilized quantum tunneling effects, such as scanning
tunneling microscopes, plasma resonators, and nanoelectronic circuit designs [2]. Meanwhile, the
practical application of quantum tunneling effect is also very specific. Scanning tunneling microscope
is a device that utilizes quantum tunneling effect to accurately image at the atomic level. By detecting
changes in micro current on the probe, the arrangement of atoms can be accurately scanned. This has
been one of the main methods used by scientists in recent years to study material surfaces [3]. Some
research teams have also applied this effect to quantum plasmas to accurately obtain the current
density voltage (J-V) in nano scale metal insulator metal (MIM) junctions, and have constructed
corresponding self consistent models [2]. Resonant tunneling diode is the earliest semiconductor
device developed by humans that utilizes the quantum tunneling effect. Although the application
scenarios of this semiconductor device have become diverse with the development of the times, its
application in optoelectronics and logic circuits still requires in-depth research. Some research teams
have demonstrated the magnitude and position of current in the resonance peak by reviewing the
GaAs/AlGaAs double barrier resonant tunneling diode system and adopting new calculation methods
[4]. Due to the special structure of the double potential barrier, a potential well is also formed between
the two barriers, resulting in resonance tunneling effects in the double potential barrier structure. At
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present, many research teams have conducted theoretical research on the resonance tunneling effect
under this structure, constructed many specific barrier models, and adopted different calculation
methods [5-8].
In order to demonstrate the basic principle of quantum tunneling effect, this study will construct a
one-dimensional symmetric double potential barrier structure model, strictly solve the time-
independent Schrodinger equation in different regions according to the relevant theories of quantum
mechanics, and use the properties of the wave function at the boundary to obtain the expression of
the transmission probability of particles passing through the one-dimensional double-sided potential
barrier, and analyze the relationship between the transmission probability and which variables.
Discuss the change in effective mass of incident particles and their impact on transmission probability
when passing through non square potential barriers (semiconductor heterojunction). Drawing the
graph about relationship between transmission probability and related variables was and summarizing
the physical meaning expressed in the results.

2. Methodology
As shown in the fig. 1, the same height of the one-dimensional double potential barrier, 𝑈1 =
𝑈2 = 𝑈0 . Its potential energy function 𝑈(𝑥) is
𝑈 , 𝑎 < 𝑥 < 𝑏, 𝑐 < 𝑥 < 𝑑
𝑈(𝑥) = { 0 (1)
0, 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑠
The potential barrier widths are 𝐿1 = 𝑏 − 𝑎, 𝐿2 = 𝑑 − 𝑐. The distance between two potential
barriers is𝛥 = 𝑐 − 𝑏. The first, third, and fourth regions are generally superconductors, conductors,
metals, semiconductor materials. Electrons can move freely with zero potential energy, while the
second and fourth regions are generally insulating layers, making it difficult for electrons to pass
through and can be considered as potential barriers.

Figure 1. Structure diagram of the double potential barriers structures

By dividing 5 different regions and solving the time-independent Schrodinger equation for each
region, the wave function equation for each region can be obtained [9]. The wave function equation
system is as follows:
𝜓Ⅰ (𝑥) = 𝐴𝑒 𝑖𝑘1 𝑥 + 𝐴′ 𝑒 −𝑖𝑘1 𝑥
𝜓Ⅱ (𝑥) = 𝐵𝑒 𝑖𝑘2 𝑥 + 𝐵′ 𝑒 −𝑖𝑘2 𝑥
𝜓Ⅲ (𝑥) = 𝐶𝑒 𝑖𝑘1 𝑥 + 𝐶 ′ 𝑒 −𝑖𝑘1 𝑥 (2)
𝜓Ⅳ (𝑥) = 𝐷𝑒 𝑖𝑘3 𝑥 + 𝐷′ 𝑒 −𝑖𝑘3 𝑥
{𝜓Ⅴ (𝑥) = 𝐹𝑒 𝑖𝑘1 𝑥
Assuming that the incident energy of microscopic particles is less than the height of the potential
barrier, 𝐸 < 𝑈0 , so in the function (2) that 𝑘1 = √2𝑚𝐸/ℎ,̶ 𝑘2 = 𝑘3 = √2𝑚(𝑈0 − 𝐸)/ℎ,̶ using the
properties of wave functions at the boundaries of each region, obtain

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= 4k12 k 22e −ik1 ( L1 + L2 ) /4k12 k 22 cosh(k 2 L1 ) cosh(k 2 L2 ) +

F
A
( )
sinh (k 2 L1 )sinh (k 2 L2 ) k12 + k 22 ei 2 k1 −
2 (3)

( ) (
2ik1k 2 k12 − k 22 sinh k 2 (L1 + L2 ) − sinh (k 2 L1 )sinh (k 2 L2 ) k12 − k 22 )
2

Squaring the modulus of Eq. (3), one sets

𝛽 = 𝑘1 /𝑘2 = √𝐸/(𝑈0 − 𝐸) (4)
The transmission probability satisfies the following expression

T = 4 4 /  2 (  2 − 1) sinh( 2k 2 L) + (  2 + 1) 4 sinh 4 (k 2 L) sin 2 (k1) +
2

4 4 cosh 2 (2k 2 L) − 2(  2 + 1) 2 sin( k1) sinh 2 (k 2 L)  (5)

[(  3 −  ) cos(k1) sinh( 2k 2 L) + 2 2 cosh( 2k 2 L) sin( k1)]
When an incident particle passes through a non-square potential barrier, due to the different
periodic potentials of different potential barriers, the effective mass of the incident particle will
change, and the wave number of the wave function in different regions will also change accordingly
[10-12]. Therefore, the equation for transmission probability should satisfy the following function
𝑚0 𝑘𝑁+1
𝑇′ = 𝑇 (6)
𝑚𝑁+1 𝑘0

Here, 𝑚0 is the mass of incident particles, 𝑚𝑁+1 is the effective mass of particles in the right
region of the rightmost potential barrier, 𝑘0 is the wave number of the wave function in the left
region of the leftmost potential barrier, 𝑘𝑁+1 is the wave number of the wave function in the right
region of the rightmost potential barrier. However, when calculating a symmetric square potential
barrier, the incident particle passes through a potential barrier with the same periodic potential, and
its effective mass does not change, therefore
𝑚0 𝑘𝑁+1
=1 (7)
𝑚𝑁+1 𝑘0

And the transmission probability can still be numerically simulated using Eq. (5).

3. Results and Discussion

As shown in the Fig. 2 is the relationship between the transmission probability and potential barrier
width of one-dimensional double potential barriers. The incident particle is an electron, and the
incident energy of the particle is 𝐸 = 5𝑒𝑉, the potential barrier height is 𝑈0 = 10𝑒𝑉, the distance
between two potential barriers is 𝛥 = 1𝑛𝑚. From the figure, it can be noticed that when the potential
barrier width is 0, there is nonexistent potential barrier in the structural model, so the transmission
probability is 1. As the width of the potential barrier gradually increases, the transmission probability
decreases exponentially, and reduce to 0 when the potential barrier width is about 𝐿 = 4𝑛𝑚. It
illustrates that the smaller the potential barrier width, the more likely the incident particles are to
occur quantum tunneling effects.

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Figure 2. The relationship between the transmission probability and potential barrier width of one-
dimensional double potential barriers
As shown in Fig. 3 is the relationship between the transmission probability and potential barrier
spacing of one-dimensional double potential barriers. The incident particle is an electron, and the
incident energy of the particle is 𝐸 = 5𝑒𝑉, the potential barrier height is 𝑈0 = 10𝑒𝑉,the potential
barrier width 𝐿 = 1𝑛𝑚. When the potential barrier spacing is 0, there is only one potential barrier in
the structural model, which conforms to the single potential barrier structural model, and the
transmission probability is less than 1. As the distance between potential barriers increases, the
transmission probability gradually increases to 1 and then decreases again, showing a clear periodic
oscillation relationship, and the oscillation period remains unchanged. The Fig. 4 shows when the
potential barrier width increases to 𝐿 = 2𝑛𝑚, the transmission probability still exhibits a clear
periodic oscillation, with no change in the oscillation period, but the minimum transmission
probability decreases and the peak width narrows.

Figure 3. The relationship between the transmission probability and potential barrier spacing of
one-dimensional double potential barriers when 𝐿 = 1𝑛𝑚

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Figure 4. The relationship between the transmission probability and potential barrier spacing of
one-dimensional double potential barriers when 𝐿 = 2𝑛𝑚
This phenomenon of periodic oscillation is called resonance tunneling effect. Given a transmission
probability of 1, the expression for the potential barrier spacing can be derived from Eq. (5) as follows:
1 2𝑘1 𝑘2
𝛥= {𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛 [ 𝑐𝑜𝑡ℎ(𝑘2 𝐿)] + 2𝑛𝜋} (8)
𝑘1 𝑘12 −𝑘22

Where n is an integer, it can be inferred from the expression that when the potential barrier spacing
satisfies this equation, the transmission probability reaches its maximum of 1, while when it does not
satisfy this equation, the transmission probability rapidly decreases. This is because the area between
two potential barriers can be considered as a potential well. If the width of the potential well reaches
a specific value which satisfy the equation in Eq. (8), the incident particle will undergo multiple
reflections at the potential well interface after entering the potential well. Because the incident particle
maintains phase coherence in the transmitted wave, there is a possibility that the transmission
probability is close to 1, and making tunneling has resonant characteristic. Therefore, by adjusting
the potential barrier spacing, resonance tunneling effects can be artificially induced to increase the
transmission probability of particles.
As shown in Fig. 5 is the relationship between the transmission probability and the energy of the
incident particle. The incident particle is an electron, the potential barrier height is 𝑈0 = 10𝑒𝑉,the
potential barrier width 𝐿 = 1𝑛𝑚. When the potential barrier spacing is small (𝛥 = 3𝑛𝑚), as the
incident energy of the particle increases, the transmission probability slowly increases from 0 to 1
and then slowly decreases again, and periodic changes cannot be clearly observed from the curve in
the figure. When the potential barrier spacing increases slightly (𝛥 = 7𝑛𝑚), the growth rate of
transmission probability significantly accelerates, and the second point with a transmission
probability of 1 can be observed on the curve in the figure. When the potential barrier spacing is large
(𝛥 = 15𝑛𝑚), periodic changes of transmission probability can be clearly observed from the curve in
the figure, and as the incident energy increases the oscillation period increases, but the oscillation
amplitude is decreases. Therefore, by synthesizing the curves under three different potential barrier
spacing, one can conclude that the larger the potential barrier spacing, the easier it is for resonance
tunneling to occur.

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Figure 5. The relationship between the transmission probability and the energy of the incident
particle under different potential barrier spacing

4. Conclusion
To sum up, this study uses the method of solving wave functions in different regions to obtain the
time-independent Schrodinger equation system, and obtains the expression for the transmission
probability of one-dimensional symmetric double potential barriers. The relationship between
transmission probability and potential barrier width, potential barrier spacing, and incident energy is
numerically simulated, and drawing the corresponding curve graphs. It is clearly concluded that the
smaller the potential barrier width, the more likely the incident particle is to undergo tunneling effects.
The transmission probability oscillates periodically with the potential barrier spacing, and the
transmission probability also increases periodically as the energy of the incident particle gradually
increases. Meanwhile, the influence of the incident particle passing through a non square potential
barrier was discussed, and the conclusion was drawn that the non square potential barrier will affect
the effective mass of the incident particle, thereby changing the transmission probability and calculate
the corresponding equation. This research also discusses the relationship and differences between
square and non square potential barriers, as well as their impact on transmission probability. It
explains to some extent how different potential barriers affect transmission probability, which is
beneficial for students in related fields to understand the principles and processes of quantum
tunneling. However, it should be noted that the calculation which factors are related to the
transmission probability of asymmetric double potential barriers are ignored. In the future, similar
computational methods can be used to perform numerical simulations and image analysis on this
structural model.

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[6] Su´arez E, Santiago-Acost R D, Lemus R. Symmetry Analysis of the Square Well Potential. J. Phys.:
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