The quantum pinch effect in semiconducting quantum wires: A bird’s-eye view

Abstract

Those who measure success with culmination do not seem to be aware that life is a journey not a destination. This spirit is best reflected in the unceasing failures in efforts for solving the problem of controlled thermonuclear fusion for even the simplest pinches for over decades; and the nature keeps us challenging with examples. However, these efforts have permitted researchers the obtention of a dense plasma with a lifetime that, albeit short, is sufficient to study the physics of the pinch effect, to create methods of plasma diagnostics, and to develop a modern theory of plasma processes. Most importantly, they have impregnated the solid state plasmas, particularly the electron–hole plasmas in semiconductors, which do not suffer from the issues related with the confinement and which have demonstrated their potential not only for the fundamental physics but also for the device physics. Here, we report on a two-component, cylindrical, quasi-one-dimensional quantum plasma subjected to a radial confining harmonic potential and an applied magnetic field in the symmetric gauge. It is demonstrated that such a system, as can be realized in semiconducting quantum wires, offers an excellent medium for observing the quantum pinch effect at low temperatures. An exact analytical solution of the problem allows us to make significant observations: Surprisingly, in contrast to the classical pinch effect, the particle density as well as the current density display a determinable maximum before attaining a minimum at the surface of the quantum wire. The effect will persist as long as the equilibrium pair density is sustained. Therefore, the technological promise that emerges is the route to the precise electronic devices that will control the particle beams at the nanoscale.