Contribution of the electron-phonon interaction to the broadening of cyclotron resonance line of a two-dimensional electron gas in multiple quantum well structures

Abstract

The theory of cyclotron resonance (CR) lineshape of a two-dimensional electron gas (2 DEG) due to the electron-phonon interaction in multiple-quantum-well structures (MQWS) is investigated. The contribution of the deformation potential acoustic and piezoelectric phonon scattering to the broadening of the cyclotron resonance spectra (CRSB) of such a system is calculated fro GaAs/AlAs. The piezoelectric phonon scattering contribution to the linewidth is smaller as compared to the deformation potential acoustic phonon scattering but is significantly comparable. The magnetic-field dependence of CRSB due to the deformation potential acoustic and piezoelectric phonons isB1/2 andB1/4, respectively, and the frequency shift ΔN,p=0 for both interactions in the elastic-scattering approximation. Observed numerical values of the CRSB indicate that at low temperatures acoustic and piezoelectric phonons are dominant scatterers and interact strongly with 2 DEG in MQWS where the impurity scattering is suppressed due to the modulation doping.