Hot luminescence and electron-phonon interaction in structures with quantum wells

The electron-phonon interaction in structures with GaAs/AlAs and GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum wells was investigated experimentally by the hot-photoluminescence method. The rate of intraband scattering of 200-meV hot electrons by phonons was measured as a function of the quantum-well widths in the range 40-140 Angstrom. The energy and the type of phonons that make the main contribution to the energy relaxation process is determined directly from the energy losses in the hot-luminescence spectrum. The results are compared for structures with different barrier compositions. The rates of electron scattering by different types of phonons are calculated on the basis of a continuum dielectric model. The experimental results agree satisfactorily with these calculations. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.