Instability in Magnetoplasma Surface Wave Propagation

Abstract

An instability of a magnetoplasma surface wave is investigated. The magnetoplasma surface wave is an electrostatic wave having a frequency independent of wave number. The wave propagates along the interface between a single-component solid state plasma and an insulator, in the presence of an external magnetic field. When two semiconductor wafers are separated by a thin insulator, the wave propagating along one interface interacts with the other wave propagating along the other interface. It is found that a two stream type instability, or a resistive wall type instability is induced by the drifting of surface charge.