Dissipative tunneling in structures with quantum dots and quantum molecules

Abstract

The problem of tunneling control in systems "quantum dot - quantum well" (as well as "quantum dot - quantum dot" or quantum molecule) and "quantum dot - bulk contact" is studied as a quantum tunneling with dissipation process in the semiclassical (instanton) approximation. For these systems temperature and correlation between a quantum dot radius and a quantum well width (or another quantum dot radius) are considered to be control parameters. The condition for a single electron blockade is found in the limit of quantum dot. The criteria for an extreme tunneling current in quantum molecules are also presented. The tunnel probability for systems under investigation is analytically obtained as well.