Many-body exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of semiconductor quantum wires.

Abstract

We consider theoretically the electron-electron-interaction-induced exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of quasi-one-dimensional GaAs quantum-wire structures. We calculate, within the leading-order dynamical-screening approximation (i.e., the so-called GW approximation of the electron-gas theory), the electron self-energy, spectral function, momentum distribution function, inelastic-scattering rate, band-gap renormalization, and the many-body renormalization factor at both zero and finite temperatures, and both with and without impurity-scattering effects. We also calculate the effects of finite temperatures and finite impurity scattering on the many-body properties. We propose the possibility of a hot-electron transistor device with a large negative differential resistance which is based on the sudden onset of plasmon emission by energetic ballistic electrons in one dimension. The issue of the existence or nonexistence of the Fermi surface among the interacting one-dimensional quantum-wire electrons is critically discussed based on our numerical results.