Quantum well wires: electrical and optical properties

Quantum theoretical results on electrical and optical properties of quantum well wires (QWW) are described under strong quantum confinement conditions when acoustic phonon, point defect or alloy scattering is enhanced, and ionised-impurity scattering is suppressed. A quantum size resonance is expected to take place when the energy of a photon polarised perpendicular to the wire is equal to the spacing between the quantised energy levels. The linewidth is shown to be proportional to ( lambda D 2 /A) tau b , where lambda D is the de Broglie wavelength of an electron. A is the confinement area, and tau b is the bulk relaxation time. A quantum freeze-out of confined carriers is expected to induce a semimetal-semiconductor transition in semimetallic thin wires.