Quest User's Manual

The improvements of molecular beam epitaxy have reached a state where the deposition of material layers on an atomic length scale is possible. State-of-the-art x-ray and electron beam lithography allows horizontal patterning on a nanometer scale. These technologies have given rise to a new class of devices that operate on quantum mechanical principles. QUEST (Quantum Electron Semiconductor Transport) simulates electron quantum transport at high bias through semiconductor heterostructures. Large cross-section and one-dimensional quantum devices can be analyzed including effects due to dissipation and charging. The simulation is limited to steady-state transport in a single conduction band. The analysis is based on the non-equilibrium Green's function approach of Keldysh, Kadanoff, and Baym. Electron-phonon interactions are treated in the self-consistent first Born approximation and electron charging effects are built in via a self-consistent electro-static potential. Quantum interference is naturally built into the Green's functions. The user's manual includes a tutorial that guides the new user through several examples of electron transport through resonant tunneling diodes. The examples include elastic scattering, inelastic scattering by acoustic phonons, inelastic scattering by optical phonons, intrinsic bistability due to charge accumulation and effects due to transverse modes. The user's manual also includes a reference guide meant for the more experienced user who needs to look up parameter definitions. (118 pages, 39 figures, 1 table, 12 index pages)