Wave vector filtering effect for electrons in magnetically and electrically confined semiconductor heterostructure

Wave vector filtering effect is explored for electrons in magnetically and electrically confined semiconductor heterostructure, which can be realized experimentally by depositing a ferromagnetic stripe and a Schottky metal stripe in parallel configuration on the surface of GaAs/AlxCa1-xAs heterostructure. Adopting improved transfer matrix method to solve Schrodinger equation, electronic transmission coefficient is calculated exactly, and then wave vector filtering efficiency is obtained by differentiating transmission probability over longitudinal wave vector. An obvious wave vector filtering effect appears, due to an essentially two-dimensional process for electron transmission through a magnetic nanostructure. Besides, wave vector filtering efficiency is associated closely with width, position and externally applied voltage of Schottky metal stripe, which makes wave vector filtering effect become controllable and results in a manipulable momentum filter for nanoelectronics.