ENERGY EXCHANGE RATE IN NON-DEGENERATE ELECTRON GAS CONFINED TO A GaAs HETEROSTRUCTURE

Abstract

The rate of energy exchange via dynamically screened electron–electron interaction in a two-dimensional and quasi two-dimensional semiconductor is described analytically for the situation where the electron gas obeys classical statistics and is therefore applicable to many cases involving hot-electrons. It is shown that the interaction is resonantly enhanced by coupled-phonon–plasmon mode effects. The magnitudes of energy and momentum exchange rates in GaAs suggest that in cases where optical phonon scattering is not dominant, hot-electron transport will be describable in terms of drifted Maxwellian distribution. Even where optical-phonon scattering is dominant, the coupled phonon–plasmon mode enhancement of the electron–electron energy exchange rate offers substantial contribution.