TY - JOUR
T1 - Intervalley scattering in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells and quantum cascade lasers
AU - Mc Tavish, James
AU - Ikonić, Zoran
AU - Indjin, Dragan
AU - Harrison, Paul
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to EPSRC (UK), British Council-DAAD Academic Research Collaboration programme and NATO Collaborative Linkage Grant 983316 for financial support. The authors would like to thank S. Höfling, University of Würzburg, and V. Milanovic, University of Belgrade, for useful discussions.
PY - 2009/3/1
Y1 - 2009/3/1
N2 - The results of simulations of Γ-X scattering in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells are presented, discussing the importance of the mole fraction, doping density, and lattice and electron temperatures in determining the scattering rates. A systematic study of Γ-X scattering in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs heterostructures, using a single quantum well to determine the importance of well width, molar concentration x, lattice temperature, and doping density, has been performed. After this we consider a double quantum well to determine the role of intervalley scattering in the transport through single-layer heterostructures, i.e. Γ-X-Γ scattering compared with Γ-Γ scattering. Finally, we estimate the relative importance of intervalley scattering in a GaAs-based quantum-cascade laser device and compare it with other relevant scattering mechanisms important to describe carrier dynamics in the structure. Our simulations suggest that Γ-X scattering can be significant at room temperature but falls off rapidly at lower temperatures.
AB - The results of simulations of Γ-X scattering in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells are presented, discussing the importance of the mole fraction, doping density, and lattice and electron temperatures in determining the scattering rates. A systematic study of Γ-X scattering in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs heterostructures, using a single quantum well to determine the importance of well width, molar concentration x, lattice temperature, and doping density, has been performed. After this we consider a double quantum well to determine the role of intervalley scattering in the transport through single-layer heterostructures, i.e. Γ-X-Γ scattering compared with Γ-Γ scattering. Finally, we estimate the relative importance of intervalley scattering in a GaAs-based quantum-cascade laser device and compare it with other relevant scattering mechanisms important to describe carrier dynamics in the structure. Our simulations suggest that Γ-X scattering can be significant at room temperature but falls off rapidly at lower temperatures.
KW - Carrier dynamics
KW - Intervalley scattering
KW - Quantum cascade laser
KW - Quantum well
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=61349181334&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.mejo.2008.06.072
DO - 10.1016/j.mejo.2008.06.072
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:61349181334
VL - 40
SP - 577
EP - 580
JO - Microelectronics Journal
JF - Microelectronics Journal
SN - 0959-8324
IS - 3
ER -