Possibility for a novel type of sensors for detecting nanosized substances (e.g., macromolecules or molecule clusters) through their\neffects on electron tunneling in a double nanoscale semiconductor heterostructure is discussed.We studied spectral distributions of\nlocalized/delocalized states of a single electron in a double quantum well (DQW) with relation to slight asymmetry perturbations.\nThe asymmetry was modeled by modification of the dot shape and the confinement potential. Electron energy uncertainty is\nrestricted by the differences between energy levels within the spectra of separated QWs. Hence, we established a direct relationship\nbetween the uncertainty of electron localization and the energy uncertainty. We have shown in various instances that a small\nviolation of symmetry drastically affects the electron localization. These phenomena can be utilized to devise new sensing\nfunctionalities. The charge transport in such sensors is highly sensitive to minuscule symmetry violation caused by the detected\nsubstance. The detection of the electron localization constitutes the sensor signal.
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