ELECTRON OPTICAL-PHONON COUPLING IN GAAS ALXGA1-XAS QUANTUM-WELLS DUETO INTERFACE, SLAB, AND HALF-SPACE MODES/

The electron optical-phonon coupling is studied in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs qua ntum wells as due to the interface modes, the confined slab modes in t he well, and the half-space modes in the barriers. The polaron binding energy and effective mass are calculated and the relative importance of the different phonon modes is investigated as a function of the wid th of the quantum well. The full-energy spectrum, i.e., the discrete e nergy levels in the well and the continuum energy spectrum above the b arrier, are included as intermediate states. The polaron binding energ y and effective mass go continuously from the three-dimensional (3D) A lxGa1-xAs to the 3D GaAs results when the well width varies from zero to infinity.