TRANSFER MATRIX METHOD FOR ELECTRON-IO-PHONON INTERACTION IN ASYMMETRIC DOUBLE-BARRIER STRUCTURES

Abstract

Within the framework of the dielectric continuum model, the interface-optical (IO) phonon modes and their interaction with electrons in an asymmetric double-barrier structure is studied by using a transfer matrix method. The dispersion equation of IO phonon modes and the electron-IO-phonon (e-IO-p) interaction Hamiltonian are derived. It is found that there are eight branches of IO-phonon modes coupling with electrons besides the confined LO-phonon modes. The numerical results are obtained for several GaAs/Al x Ga 1-x As systems. It is seen that the contributions of long-wavelength phonons to the e-IO-p coupling are important. The e-IO-p coupling related to the IO modes with the GaAs LO-frequency (phonon energy 36.25 meV) at the long-wavelength limit is strongest in the eight branches of IO-phonon modes.