Transmission of a position-dependent mass system through a soft Coulomb potential

Abstract

This research delves into the fascinating transmission characteristics of a system with variable mass, confined by a Coulomb-like potential. By utilizing an analytic approach to transmission probability, we were able to unveil the intriguing features that are observed experimentally in a specially designed two-dimensional lattice. This lattice was engineered to manipulate itinerant electrons through entanglement, resulting in variable masses as they traverse the lattice. To build our model system, we utilized the displacement operator approach to the position-dependent effective mass theory. This allowed us to investigate the effects of different configurations of leads, system geometries and lattice deformations on the transmission characteristics of the system. The resulting data showed that the model system was highly sensitive to these parameters, which led to various interesting features. First, we observed Andreev-like reflections, which occur when a particle is reflected as a hole, resulting in the transfer of both energy and charge. Another feature was reflectionless transmission, in which the transmission probability of a particle is close to unity, and almost no reflection occurs. We also observed complete localization of charge carriers, where the transmission probability is effectively zero, indicating that the charge carriers are completely confined within the lattice. Our findings demonstrate the remarkable versatility of the effective mass approach in the modeling of physical systems. By unraveling the intricate relationships between system parameters and transmission probability, we have gained new insights into the behavior of itinerant charge carriers in lattice structures. These insights may guide the design and development of novel electronic devices with enhanced performance and functionality.