Simulation of single-electron transport in nanostructured quantum dots

Resonant tunneling via discrete energy states in single-electron electronic systems have been observed in many nanostructured configurations. The nodes of such circuits may assume either a continuum of energy states or a set of discrete states with different degeneracy factors. This paper presents a general-purpose simulator intended to provide a unique platform that is able to simulate such circuits. The model is described and then used to study some typical simple circuits. It is shown that even for simple circuits, the interplay between energy spectrum, sensitivity to voltage variations and Coulomb blockade conditions might lead to very complicated current-voltage characteristics.