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Electron locking in semiconductor superlattices

F. V. Kusmartsev·H. S. Dhillon
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Abstract

We describe a novel state of electrons and phonons arising in semiconductor superlattices (SSL) due to strong electron-phonon interactions. These states are characterized by a localization of phonons and a self-trapping or locking of electrons in one or several quantum wells due to an additional, deformational potential arising around these locking wells in SSL. The effect is enhanced in a longitudinal magnetic field. Using the tight-binding and adiabatic approximations the whole energy spectrum of the self-trapped states is found and accurate, analytic expressions are included for strong electron-phonon coupling. Finally, we discuss possible experiments which may detect these predicted self-trapped states.

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F. V. Kusmartsev, H. S. Dhillon. 1999-09-21. Electron locking in semiconductor superlattices. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.60.6208

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