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Principles of Solid State Electron Optics

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Confined Electrons and Photons

Part of the book series: NATO ASI Series ((NSSB,volume 340))

Abstract

The science of vacuum electron optics has benefitted tremendously from the close analogy with light optics. This analogy exists on the level of classical motion (geometrical optics), as well as on the level of quantum mechanical motion (wave optics). The last two decades have witnessed a surge of interest in transport phenomena in low-dimensional semiconductor systems. Examples are the study of weak localization and conductance fluctuations in two-dimensional (2D) electron gases, resonant tunneling through confined states in quantum wells, transport through mini-bands in superlattices, and quantum ballistic transport through quantum point contacts. All of these phenomena have an optical analogue, and may be classified as manifestations of solid state electron optics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Philips Research Laboratories, Prof. Holstlaan 4, 5656 AA, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    H. van Houten

  2. Instituut-Lorentz, University of Leiden, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands

    C. W. J. Beenakker

Authors
  1. H. van Houten
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  2. C. W. J. Beenakker
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

    Elias Burstein

  2. Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, France

    Claude Weisbuch

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van Houten, H., Beenakker, C.W.J. (1995). Principles of Solid State Electron Optics. In: Burstein, E., Weisbuch, C. (eds) Confined Electrons and Photons. NATO ASI Series, vol 340. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1963-8_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1963-8_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5807-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-1963-8

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