Theory of Hot Electrons in Strong Magnetic Fields. I

Abstract

Hot electron transport properties of semiconductors in strong magnetic fields have been investigated theoretically in the case of transverse electric and magnetic fields with the principal objective of elucidating the experiments on n -InSb at low temperatures. The model takes account of quantized subband structures and related periodic change of scattering rates with the energy of the electrons. The energy distribution function at high electric fields has a sharp cutoff at the optical phonon energy and deviates strongly from the Maxwellian shape. The average energy and conductivity of the electrons at high electric fields vary periodically with magnetic field and have extrema at the magnetophonon resonance condition: \(\hbar\omega_{\text{op}}{=}n\hbar\omega_{\text{c}}(n{=}1,2,3,\dots)\). The average energy is maximum and the transverse resistance is minimum at the resonance.