Deformation Electron-Phonon Coupling in Disordered Semiconductors and Nanostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates how disorder and interference effects influence electron-phonon relaxation in semiconductors and nanostructures, revealing an enhancement of coupling contrary to metallic behavior, with implications for silicon energy relaxation.

Contribution

It demonstrates that interference effects in disordered semiconductors and nanostructures enhance electron-phonon coupling, contrasting with metallic systems where interference suppresses it.

Findings

Interference enhances electron-phonon coupling in semiconductors.

Contrasts with destructive interference in metals.

Explains energy relaxation in silicon structures.

Abstract

We study the electron-phonon relaxation (dephasing) rate in disordered semiconductors and low-dimensional structures. The relaxation is determined by the interference of electron scattering via the deformation potential and elastic electron scattering from impurities and defects. We have found that in contrast to the destructive interference in metals, which results in the Pippard ineffectiveness condition for the electron-phonon interaction, the interference in semiconducting structures substantially enhances the effective electron-phonon coupling. The obtained results provide an explanation to energy relaxation in silicon structures.