Longitudinal polar optical modes in semiconductor quantum wells

Abstract

A continuum theory is employed for investigating the longitudinal optical (LO) modes in polar semiconductor heterostructures. Particular emphasis is laid on the symmetric double heterostructure (DHS) such as occurs in a semiconductor quantum well. The existence of two-dimensional (2D) bulk-type double-interface-type and guided-type LO modes is examined for this case and their characteristic dispersion relations derived. It is shown with reference to a typical GaAs quantum well that the presence of at most two double-interface modes and a finite number of guided LO modes depends on the difference between the squares of the limiting bulk LO frequencies of the two materials. The implications of the results for light scattering experiments and for the properties of electrons confined in quantum wells are pointed out and discussed.