Physics

Electron

Relaxation (psychology)

Carrier scattering

Surface phonon

Optics

Polariton

Wafer

Psychology

Scattering

Materials science

Standing wave

Phonon

Condensed matter physics

Scattering rate

Quantum mechanics

Free electron model

Optoelectronics

Social psychology

Journal of Physics Condensed Matter

The electron LO-phonon scattering rate is obtained for a thin free-standing GaAs wafer. The carriers are assumed to occupy only the lowest subband. The choice of confining potential is shown to make a quantitative difference in the variation of the scattering rate with wafer thickness. Phonon confinement effects are demonstrated to manifest themselves for thicknesses less than around 500 AA. It is shown that purely longitudinal surface modes are not allowed in these free-standing structures. Surface electromagnetic waves (polaritons), which are normal modes of the system exist, though it is argued that their interaction with electrons ought to be weak.

Electron energy relaxation via LO-phonon emission in free standing GaAs wafers