Nonlinear Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Chaos in Semiconductors

This book brings together concepts from the important fields of semiconductor physics and nonlinear dynamics to examine transport phenomena in semiconductor systems. In doing so the wonders of nonlinearities, instabilities and chaos are revealed in a book that will be of great interest to semiconductor physicists and nonlinear scientists alike.

Nonlinear transport phenomena are an increasingly important aspect of modern semiconductor research. Nonlinear Spatio-Temporal Dynamics and Chaos in Semiconductors deals with complex nonlinear dynamics, pattern formation, and chaotic behaviour in such systems. In doing so it bridges the gap between two well-established fields: the theory of dynamic systems, and nonlinear charge transport in semiconductors. This unified approach is used to consider important electronic transport instabilities. The initial chapters lay a general framework for the theoretical description of nonlinear self-organized spatio-temporal patterns, like current filaments, field domains, fronts, and analysis of their stability. Later chapters consider important model systems in detail: impact ionization induced impurity breakdown, Hall instabilities, superlattices, and low-dimensional structures. State-of-the-art results include chaos control, spatio-temporal chaos, multistability, pattern selection, activator-inhibitor kinetics, and global coupling, linking fundamental issues to electronic device applications. This book will be of great value to semiconductor physicists and nonlinear scientists alike.