DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE HOT-ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION IN GAAS ALGAAS HETEROSTRUCTURES

Authors
WIRNER C KIENER C BOXLEITNER W GORNIK E BOHM G WEIMANN G
Citation
C. Wirner et al., DIRECT OBSERVATION OF THE HOT-ELECTRON DISTRIBUTION IN GAAS ALGAAS HETEROSTRUCTURES, Semiconductor science and technology, 9(5), 1994, pp. 793-795
Citations number
8
Categorie Soggetti
Engineering, Eletrical & Electronic","Physics, Condensed Matter","Material Science
Journal title
Semiconductor science and technology → ACNP
ISSN journal
02681242
Volume
9
Issue
5
Year of publication
1994
Supplement
S
Pages
793 - 795
Database
ISI
SICI code
0268-1242(1994)9:5<793:DOOTHD>2.0.ZU;2-9
Abstract
We have directly observed the electric-field-driven hot-electron distr ibution in high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures by detecting the grating-induced far-infrared Smith-Purcell emission. In samples with very low concentration the distribution develops a non-thermal shape a t low electric fields due to the dominance of LO phonon emission. For the first time the average mean free path of the hot electrons is dete rmined by studying the emission signal as a function of the grating pe riod length.