Quantum-coupled device

Claim 2

An electronic device comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 500 Angstroms and another dimension less than 1000 Angstroms; a barrier medium interposed between said first and second wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 50 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means for removing carriers from said second well.

Claim 3

An electronic device, for operation at a predetermined maximum temperature greater than 65 Kelvin, comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 300 Angstroms and another dimension less than 500 Angstroms; a barrier medium interposed between said first and second wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 8 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means for removing carriers from said second well.

Claim 4

An electronic device, for operation at a predetermined maximum temperature greater than 65 Kelvin, comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 300 Angstroms and another dimension less than 500 Angstroms; a barrier medium interposed between said first and second wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 8 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means for removing carriers from said second well.

Claim 5

An electronic device, for operation at a predetermined maximum temperature greater than 300 Kelvin, comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 150 Angstroms and another dimension less than 500 Angstroms; a barrier medium interposed between said first and second wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 30 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means'for removing carriers from said -second well.

Claim 6

An electronic device, for operation at a predetermined maximum temperature greater than 300 Kelvin, comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 150 Angstroms and another dimension less than 500 Angstroms; a barrier medium interposed between said first and second wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 30 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means'for removing carriers from said -second well.

Claim 7

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the largest physical dimension of either of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronVolt; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy and momentum state in said first well is aligned with a discrete state in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three of said discrete states within said first welt is aligned with a discrete state in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the energetically lowest state in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the the energetically lowest state in said first well.

Claim 8

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the largest physical dimension of either of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronVolt; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy and momentum state in said first well is aligned with a discrete state in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three of said discrete states within said first welt is aligned with a discrete state in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the energetically lowest state in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the the energetically lowest state in said first well.

Claim 9

An electronic device comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 200 Angstroms, said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronVolt; a barrier medium interposed between said wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 50 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means for removing carriers from said second well.

Claim 10

An electronic device comprising: first and second potential wells each comprising an island of a semiconducting material having a minimum dimension less than 200 Angstroms, said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronVolt; a barrier medium interposed between said wells wherein the minimum potential energy of carriers is at least 50 millielectronvolts higher than the minimum potential energy of carriers within said wells, said wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the smallest physical dimension of either of said wells; means for inputting carriers into said first well; and means for removing carriers from said second well.

Claim 11

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one hundred times the Bloch wavelength of a carrier in said barrier medium: said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 12

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one hundred times the Bloch wavelength of a carrier in said barrier medium: said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 13

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one half micron; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a jiscrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the Lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well

Claim 14

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one half micron; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a jiscrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the Lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well

Claim 15

An electronic device for operation at a predetermined operating temperature, comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one hundred times the Bloch wavelength of a carrier in said barrier medium; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that the lowest-lying two energy levels within each of said wells are separated by at least 3 times Boltzmann's constant times the value in degrees Kelvin of said operating temperature, and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well-

Claim 16

An electronic device for operation at a predetermined operating temperature, comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than one hundred times the Bloch wavelength of a carrier in said barrier medium; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that the lowest-lying two energy levels within each of said wells are separated by at least 3 times Boltzmann's constant times the value in degrees Kelvin of said operating temperature, and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well-

Claim 17

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the largest physical dimension of either of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronvolt, and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 18

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is less than three times the largest physical dimension of either of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels within each of said wells are separated by more than one half millielectronvolt, and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the lowest-lying energy level in said second well has a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 19

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; a plurality of pairs of first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is at most three times the minimum physical dimension of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the-lowest-lying energy level in said second well ias a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 20

An electronic device comprising: a barrier medium wherein carriers have a first minimum potential energy; a plurality of pairs of first and second potential wells in said barrier medium, the potential energy of carriers in said wells being less than the potential energy of carriers within said barrier medium; said first and second potential wells being physically separated by a distance which is at most three times the minimum physical dimension of said wells; said first and second wells being sufficiently small in all three dimensions that energy levels and all three components of momentum of carriers within each of said wells are discrete; means for inputting carriers into said first well; means for removing carriers from said second well; and means for selectively appplying bias between said first and second wells so that, under a first bias condition, at least one discrete energy level in said first well is aligned with a discrete energy level in said second well, and, under a second bias condition, no one of the lowest-lying three discrete levels within said first well is aligned with a discrete level in said second well; both said first and second bias conditions being such that the-lowest-lying energy level in said second well ias a lower potential energy for carriers than the lowest-lying potential energy level in said first well.

Claim 21

ll.The device of Claim 1, wherein said barrier medium has a minimum potential energy for carriers which is at least 10 percent greater than the minimum potential energy for carriers within said wells.

Claim 22

The device of claim 1, wherein said wells comprise a first semiconducting material, and said barrier medium comprises a second semiconducting material with a larger bandgap than the bandgap of said first semiconducting material.

Claim 23

The device of claim 1, wherein said carriers predominantly comprise electrons.

Claim 24

The device of Claim 1, wherein said barrier medium has a potential energy for carriers which is at least one half millielectronvolt greater than the minimum potential energy for carriers within said wells.

Claim 25

The device of claim 1, wherein said wells and said barrier medium comprise respective semiconductor materials, and said barrier medium is doped n-type.

Claim 26

The device of claim 1, wherein said wells comprise a first semiconductor material and said barrier medium comprises a second semiconductor material, and wherein said first semiconductor material is not lattice-matched to said second semiconductor material.

Claim 27

The device of claim 1, wherein said wells comprise a first semiconductor material and said barrier medium comprises a second semiconductor material, and wherein said first semiconductor material is lattice-matched to said second semiconductor material.

Claim 28

The device of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second wells has a maximum physical dimension which is less than 150 Angstroms.

Claim 29

The device of claim 1, wherein each of said first and second wells has a minimum physical dimension which is less than 100 Angstroms.

Claim 30

The device of claim 1, wherein said means for inputting carriers comprises: an input contact physically separated from said first well by a distance which is less than twice the distance separating said first well from said second well; said input contact including at least a quasi-continuum of energy levels.

Claim 31

The device of claim 1, wherein said means for removing carriers comprises: an output contact physically separated from said second well by a distance which is less than twice the distance separating said first well from said second well; said output contact including at least a quasi-continuum of states below the lowest-lying state of said second well.

Claim 32

The device of claim 1, wherein said means for inputting carriers comprises an input contact physically separated from said first well by a distance which is less than twice the distance separating said first well from said second well, said input contact including at least a quasi-continuum of energy levels; and wherein said means for removing carriers comprises an output contact physically separated from said second well by a distance which is less than twice the distance separating said first well from said second well, said output contact including at least a quasi-continuum of states below the lowest-lying state of said second well; and wherein said bias applying means applies bias between said input contact and said output contact.