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Scattering mechanisms in state-of-the-art GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

Journal Article · · Physical Review Materials
 [1];  [2];  [2]
  1. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States); OSTI
  2. University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Motivated by recent breakthroughs in molecular beam epitaxy of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells, we examine contributions to mobility and quantum mobility from various scattering mechanisms and their dependencies on the electron density. Here we find that at lower electron densities, ne ≲ 1 x 1011 cm-2, both transport and quantum mobility are limited by unintentional background impurities and follow a power-law dependence, ∝ n$$^{α}_{e}$$, with α ≈ 0.85. Our predictions for quantum mobility are in reasonable agreement with an estimate obtained from the resistivity at filling factor ν = 1/2 in a sample of Y. J. Chung et al. with ne = 1 x 1011 cm-2. Consideration of other scattering mechanisms indicates that interface roughness (remote donors) is likely a limiting factor of transport (quantum) mobility at higher electron densities. Future measurements of quantum mobility should yield information on the distribution of background impurities in GaAs and AlGaAs.
Research Organization:
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); William I. Fine Theoretical Physics Institute
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0002567
OSTI ID:
1980356
Journal Information:
Physical Review Materials, Journal Name: Physical Review Materials Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 6; ISSN 2475-9953
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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