INTERACTION OF ELECTRONS WITH POLARITONS

Citation
Nc. Constantinou et al., INTERACTION OF ELECTRONS WITH POLARITONS, Journal of physics. Condensed matter, 5(31), 1993, pp. 5581-5590
Citations number
27
Categorie Soggetti
Physics, Condensed Matter
ISSN journal
09538984
Volume
5
Issue
31
Year of publication
1993
Pages
5581 - 5590
Database
ISI
SICI code
0953-8984(1993)5:31<5581:IOEWP>2.0.ZU;2-0
Abstract
The electromagnetic (EM) waves associated with the polariton modes of bulk dielectrics are quantized using a procedure that accounts for bot h the Em and matter fields. The interaction of electrons with these po lariton fields is described using the minimal coupling (e/m)A . p int eraction Hamiltonian where A is the transverse vector potential operat or of the polariton field, p the electronic momentum and m its effect ive mass. The electron-polariton interaction in the bulk is demonstrat ed to be closely linked to the behaviour of the polariton group and ph ase velocities. The same quantization procedure is then employed to de scribe the EM fields associated with the interface polaritons of a GaA s/AlAs quantum well system. The coupling leads to a dependence of the scattering rate on the group and phase velocities of the surface modes , just as it does for the bulk excitations. In contrast to the case in the bulk, it is shown that these modes are important for relaxing the electron energy in narrow wells.