Observation of Folded Acoustic Phonons in a Semiconductor Superlattice

Abstract

Raman scattering from folded longitudinal phonons in a GaAs-AlAs superlattice is observed, and the resonant behavior for laser frequencies near the gap of this sample is studied. A quantitative explanation of the data is given in terms of a simple theory which involves the Kronig-Penney model for the electrons and considers the phonons in the elastic continuum limit.