Direct measurements of many-body effects on free-carrier–LO-phonon interactions in GaAs quantum wells

The influence of electron-hole pairs on free-carrier--LO-phonon interactions in GaAs quantum wells has been studied from the lattice perspective using a visible laser and Raman scattering to monitor LO-phonon dynamics following hot-carrier injection and relaxation. The LO-phonon dynamics were systematically studied as the density of a cold free-carrier population was controlled using an infrared laser. The lifetime of small-wave-vector LO phonons decreases from 4.5 to 1.9 ps as the cold carrier density increases to {~}3×{}10¹¹ cm^-2, and there is a corresponding reduction in their nonequilibrium occupation number. These results provide direct evidence of hot-phonon reabsorption and a reduction in the cooling rate from the hot-carrier--LO-phonon system to the lattice bath.