Hot electron energy relaxation via acoustic phonon emission in InP/In0.53Ga0.47As heterostructures and single quantum wells

Abstract A study of the electron heating processes in modulation doped Ga 0.47 In 0.53 As/InP heterostructures (SHJ) and single quantum wells (SQW) by magnetotransport measurements at low temperatures is presented. For electron temperatures below 20K both the SHJ and SQW show a power loss P e ranging between P T e 3 -T L 3 and 0P λ T e 5 −T L 5 suggesting that energy relaxation occurs by acoustic phono emission via mixed unscreened piezoelectric and deformation-potential interactions. In SHJ samples above T e ≥ 10K an extra inelastic scattering mechanism appears, the origin of which is unclear.