Some Experimental Prospects involving Parabolic Quantum Wells

Abstract

We discuss two possible lines of experimental investigation based on parabolic quantum wells. In the first proposal, we note that the Generalised Kohn Theorem/Harmonic Potential Theorem forbids electron–electron damping of the Kohn mode in an electron layer gas under strictly parabolic confinement. This applies even for very strong driving. It is therefore interesting to attempt reduction of other sources of broadening in GaAlAs parabolic wells, so as to achieve a prominent narrow resonance in the far infrared. We concentrate here on phononic bandgap structures, which may be of interest for reduction of phonon effects in other systems as well. The second class of proposed experiment involves twinned parabolic wells in an attempt to observe van der Waals forces directly in GaAlAs systems. In a first approximation, the parabolic or Hooke's-law nature of the confinement allows one to use the well as a kind of spring balance to measure the weak van der Waals force. The influence of an applied magnetic field on these forces appears to be significant, and this system might provide the first measurement of such an effect.