ELECTRON RELAXATION BY LO PHONONS IN QUANTUM WIRES

The adiabatic approximation is used to describe the electron states of weakly-one-dimensional quantum wires. A clear order is evidenced in t he longitudinal optical (LO) phonon mediated transition rates with res pect to the quantum numbers of the confined states involved. The avera ge single electron relaxation time from an excited level is shown eith er to increase or, surprisingly; to decrease as a function of the init ial energy. The relaxation of an excited population is dynamically sim ulated, showing the wire size dependent accelerating and energy loweri ng effects of an additional phenomenological intrasubband thermalizati on.