One-dimensional transport of warm electrons in In0.53Ga0.47As quantum well wires at low temperatures

Abstract

The ohmic mobility μ0 and the warm electron coefficient β of the electrons moving one-dimensionally in a quantum well wire (QWW) of In0.53Ga0.47As are investigated for lattice temperatures in the range of 4–10 K. Deformation potential acoustic, piezoelectric, ionized-impurity, and alloy scatterings are included considering the nonequipartition of phonons. β values are calculated by two models: one using a heated Fermi–Dirac distribution function, and the other using a more general moment method. Momentum relaxation is found to be controlled predominantly by alloy scattering. μ0 is larger for a QWW of greater cross section and decreases slowly with the increase of the lattice temperature. In both models used here, β is negative; its magnitude falls with increasing lattice temperature and is greater for larger cross sections of the QWW. However, ‖β‖ is larger in the heated Fermi–Dirac distribution function model.