Many-body exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of semiconductor quantum wires

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates many-body exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of semiconductor quantum wires using the GW approximation, analyzing various properties at different temperatures and impurity levels, and proposes a hot-electron transistor device.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive theoretical analysis of electron-electron interactions in quantum wires using the GW approximation, including temperature and impurity effects, and suggests a novel device application.

Findings

Calculated self-energy, spectral function, and scattering rates at various conditions.

Demonstrated the impact of temperature and impurities on many-body properties.

Proposed a hot-electron transistor device based on plasmon emission.

Abstract

We consider theoretically the electron--electron interaction induced exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of a quasi-one-dimensional GaAs quantum wire structures. We calculate, within the leading order dynamical screening approximation ({\em i.e.} the so-called $GW$ approximation of the electron gas theory), the electron self-energy, spectral function, momentum distribution function, inelastic scattering rate, band gap renormalization, and, the many-body renormalization factor both at zero and finite temperatures, and, both with and without impurity scattering effects. We also calculate the effects of finite temperatures and finite impurity scattering on the many-body properties. We propose the possibility of a hot-electron transistor device with a large negative differential resistance which is based on the sudden onset of plasmon emission by energetic ballistic electrons in one dimension. The issue of the existence or non-existence of the Fermi surface among the interacting one-dimensional quantum wire electrons is critically discussed based on our numerical results.