Nonlinear effects in bcc metal conductivity in multichannel specular reflection of electrons
Abstract
Quantum nonlinear effects emerging in the conductivity of metal plates with a bcc lattice upon the multichanel specular reflection (MSR) of electrons from the plate boundary are considered. It is assumed that the plate thickness d ≲ l0 (l0 is the mean free path). The current-voltage characteristic (IVC) of the plates is calculated in terms of a quasirandom MSR spectrum for arbitrary values of the nonlinearity parameter γ = e.ℰ⋅l0/(ℏνF/d) (ε is the electric field strength and νF the characteristic Fermi velocity). It is found that Zener breakdown in an electric field becomes significant in view of the double degeneration of the MSR spectral term, which is typical of bcc metals. This leads to additional nonlinear anomalies on the IVC of the plate.