An explanation for the self-generated formation of spontaneous current oscillations developing during low-temperature impact ionization breakdown of slightly doped p-type germanium is presented for the first time, taking advantage of a model experiment. Upon applying a relatively small transverse magnetic field, the spatially inhomogeneous current distribution manifest in the form of individual high-conducting-current filaments undergoes a distinct traveling dynamics that is oriented perpendicular to the direction of the electric and the magnetic field (i.e., not coincident with the direction of the current flow). The resulting magnetic-field-induced oscillatory behavior can be described qualitatively by simple model considerations.
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Clauß et al. (1991) studied this question.
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