Transport and cyclotron resonance theory for GaAs-AlGaAs heterostructures

Abstract

A theory for static and dynamic transport of a two-dimensional electron gas in GaAs-AlGaAs heterostructures at temperature zero is presented. Charged impurities, separated from the electron gas by a spacer layer, are considered as the dominant scattering mechanism. Finite extension of the wave function of the two-dimensional electron gas is taken into account. Multiple scattering effects are included and are shown to lead to a metal insulator transition at low electron densities. Due to plasmon dynamics the scattering is strongly frequency dependent, and this dissipative process determines the width of the cyclotron resonance. The corresponding reactive effect determines the shift of the cyclotron resonance. It is shown that a correlation between line width maximum and zero frequency shift of the cyclotron mode exists, in agreement with experimental results. © 1986 Springer-Verlag.