Potential landscape of a biased quantum wire

We investigate a potential landscape of a ballistic quantum wire (QW) adiabatically connected to electron reservoirs with an applied voltage V. Three qualitatively different types of potential distribution are found to appear depending on a bias. Two characteristic voltages V1 and V2 dependent on positive background charge density and geometry of the structure determine the bias intervals, where these regimes realize. At low bias, VV2 the potential in the central part of the QW becomes nonuniform since the anode reservoir cannot supply enough electrons to screen the electric field.