Conductance of a Quantum Dot in the Presence of a Phonon Field

We theoretically investigate the electrical transport property of a quantum dot with longitudinal optical phonons. The conductance through the dot connected to two leads is calculated by the nonequilibrium Green function within the Landauer-Büttiker framework. The numerical examples of the conductance with different electron-phonon coupling strengths show that the presence of a phonon field typically results in the suppression of the main peak accompanied by some phonon side peaks. Both the main peak and the side peaks axe sensitive to the electron-phonon coupling strength, which is related to temperature. Our results for this system are consistent with some related previous works but the calculation is comparatively simple.     

Electron-interface-phonon interaction in wurtzite multilayer heterostructures

Within the framework of the dielectric-continuum model and Loudon's uniaxial crystal model, the equation of motion for the p-polarization field in a wurtzite quasi-two-dimensional multilayer heterostructure is solved exactly for the interface optical-phonon modes. The eigenvector, the dispersion relation and the electron-interface-phonon interaction Fröhlich-like Hamiltonian are derived using the transfer-matrix method. The analytical formulas are universal and can be applied to single heterojunctions, single/multiple quantum wells and superlattices.     

Coherent phonon excitation in bismuth

Ultrafast time-resolved reflectivity of a bismuth thin film evaporated on a silicon substrate is measured to investigate coherent phonons in bismuth. The reflectivity result is analyzed by a linear chirp approximation to obtain the time dependent frequencies of coherent phonons. Not only the optical modes are detected, which are generated by a combination of impulsive stimulated Raman scattering and displacive excitation of coherent phonon, acoustic phonon modes are also observed, which are emitted by the A_1g optical phonon.     

Fuchs-Kliewer phonon spectrum of Co3O4(110) single crystal surfaces by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy

The Fuchs-Kliewer phonon spectrum of single crystal Co₃O₄(110) has been analyzed by high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS) and the four fundamental phonon losses have been identified at 26.8, 47.5, 71.1 and 84.7 meV (216, 383, 573 and 683 cm⁻¹). This is the first HREELS study reported for an intrinsic spinel single-crystal surface with primary focus on the Fuchs-Kliewer phonon structure. The Co₃O₄ crystal is first characterized by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED), which establish the composition, cleanliness, and order of the (110) surface. Electron scattering is then used to obtain a series of well-resolved Fuchs-Kliewer phonon spectra over 2.25-14.25 eV incident electron energy range. The variation in phonon intensity with primary beam energy is shown to agree with that predicted by dielectric theory.     

Neutron scattering study of the intermolecular vibrations in solid C60

We present a detailed account of an inelastic neutron scattering study of the intermolecular vibrations in solid C₆₀ above and below the structural phase transformation. Assignment of the observed phonon peaks to modes of translational and librational character is discussed on the basis of lattice dynamical calculations using phenomenological intermolecular potentials. A new bond charge model is presented which reproduces the observed phonon branches very well. However, the apparently small influence of the orientational disorder on the librational excitations remains to be understood.     

Hole-interface optical phonon relaxation rates with valence band-mixing effects

We theoretically investigate the hole-interface optical phonon scattering rates for a InGaAs-AlGaAs quantum well structure, taking into account the valence-band mixing. The dispersion relation and the electrostatic potentials for interface optical phonon modes are obtained based on the macroscopic dielectric continuum model. For the hole dispersion relation, the Luttinger-Kohn Hamiltonian is used. The hole-interface optical phonon interaction is evaluated by the Fermi's golden rule taking into account the Bloch overlap factor.Our results show that the hole-interface phonon scattering rates within the parabolic band approximation are different from those including valence band mixing effects. Especially, in the low energy region, the hole-interface phonon scattering rates within the parabolic band approximation are overestimated very significantly.     

Surface acoustic phonon modes of Ge nanocrystals embedded in SiO2

Ge nanocrystals (NCs) embedded in SiO₂ are synthesized by ion implantation, and the surface vibrational modes of the Ge NCs are investigated using the low-frequency Raman scattering (LFRS) technique. LFRS studies show distinct low-frequency Raman modes in the range 6.5-21.2 cm⁻¹ for the Ge NCs depending on the implant dose and annealing temperature. These low-frequency Raman modes are attributed to the confined surface acoustic phonon modes of Ge NCs with (0,0) spheroidal mode and (0,3) torsional modes. Our results are in excellent agreement with the recent theoretical predictions of surface vibrational modes in Ge NCs.     

Optical phonon modes in graded III-V nitride quantum wells

The dispersion relation for optical phonon modes in graded wurtzite AlN/GaN and AlN/InN quantum wells is calculated taking into account the existence of interfacial transition regions. We make use of a model based on the macroscopic theory developed by Loudon, known as the continuum dielectric model. The optical phonon modes are modelled considering only the electrostatic boundary conditions (neglecting retardation effects), in the absence of charge transfer between ions. We show that the graded interfaces strongly shift the frequencies of the phonon modes of the otherwise abrupt nitrides quantum wells.     

Magnon-TA phonon interaction and the specific heat during the premartensitic transformation in ferromagnetic Ni2MnGa

From the basic spin electron-phonon coupling, we deduced the magnon-TA phonon interaction in the Ni₂MnGa alloy instead of the magnetoelastic coupling between the magnetization and the amplitude of the TA phonon and suggested that the premartensitic transformation (PT) can be driven by the one-magnon-one-TA phonon interaction. Based on the established interaction Hamiltonian, the specific heat varying with the temperature has been calculated and the specific heat anomaly at the PT temperature has been predicated to make a great contribution to the latent heat during the PT because of the strong magnon-phonon interaction. The PT latent heat has been evaluated to be about 5 J/mol which is in agreement with the experimental results measured [Planes et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 79 (1997) 3926].     

Effect of ZnS shell on the Raman spectra from CdSe nanorods

We investigated the influence of an epitaxially grown ZnS shell on the phonon spectra of CdSe nanorods of different sizes. The CdSe related Raman peaks shift with addition of a ZnS shell. The longitudinal optical phonon shifts slightly due to strain and the low‐energy shoulder shifts stronger, which can be explained within a model for surface optical phonons. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Three-body interaction and phonon dispersion relations in aluminium

Based on an ab initio cohesive energy calculation and a model of three-body interaction, the pair potential can be calculated using the Möbius inversion theorem in the theory of numbers. Then the atomic force constants and the phonon dispersion for A1 are evaluated both with and without three-body interaction. Compared with experiments, the results show that taking the three-body interaction into account considerably improves the dispersions. Contrary to previous work, the method for calculating the atomic force constants and phonon dispersions presented here is simple, with only two adjustable parameters.     

Isotopic effect in the vibronic spectra of europium compounds

The effect of the kinematic factor on vibronic spectra of europium compounds and Eu³⁺-doped lanthanide compounds was examined experimentally. It was demonstrated that isotopic or quasi-isotopic substitution of the ions of the crystal lattice gives rise not only to the changes of the vibration frequencies but also to alteration of the value of electron-phonon interaction. The latter displays in changing the relative integral intensity of vibronic sidebands of electronic transitions of Eu³⁺ ion. Eu³⁺ vibronic spectra of a number of pairs of natural and isotopically or quasi-isotopically substituted compounds: nitrates, halides, formates, acetates, oxalates, β-diketonates, etc., were studied. In most cases the substitution of deuterium for hydrogen was applied. Decrease of the electron-phonon interaction with the increase of the isotopic mass depends on different structural characteristics. It was found that a factor of decreasing the relative intensity of the vibronic sideband of electronic transition of Eu³⁺ ion lies within the range ∼1.2 and ∼7 for pairs of compounds under investigation. The largest change of the intensity of vibronic sidebands was observed in a pair of formates Eu(HCOO)₃ and Eu(DCOO)₃ having the tridentate-bridging coordination of the formate anions and a three-dimensional frame structure. One should take into consideration both decreasing the vibration frequencies and diminishing the value of electron-phonon interaction at introduction of heavy isotope or quasi-isotope in the crystal lattice of lanthanide compounds to reduce the multiphonon quenching of luminescence.     

Optical phonon modes in a free-standing quantum wire with ring geometry

The confined longitudinal-optical (LO) phonon and surface-optical (SO) phonon modes of a free-standing quantum wire with ring geometry are discussed within the dielectric continuum (DC) approximation. Two branches of SO phonon modes have been investigated. The frequencies of the SO phonons are found to be dispersed and radius dependent for small size systems. When the wave vector qz→∞, the frequencies of each SO modes converge to the frequency values of the single planar heterostructure.     

Dispersive phonon imaging of InAs

The phonon-focusing patterns of ballistic phonons in InAs are measured in the frequency range 0.1 to 1 THz, in an effort to test the global validity of lattice dynamics models for this semiconductor. Phonon caustic patterns depend sensitively on the shapes of constant frequency surfaces. Several tunnel-junction detectors with sensitivity onsets in this frequency range are used to measure dispersive shifts in the phonon caustics. The measured caustic positions are compared to those predicted by rigid-ion and bond-charge models. Similar to the case of InSb studied by Hebboul and Wolfe, a 6-parameter bond-charge model (BCM)-with force constants determined by neutron, X-ray, and Raman scattering-reproduces the phonon-imaging data both qualitatively and quantitatively. Comparisons of the focusing patterns with an 11-parameter rigid-ion model (RIM) do not show good agreement. New structures are predicted in the phononfocusing patterns at frequencies above about 1.2 THz — presently outside our experimental range-which are highly sensitive to the theoretical modeling.     

Phonon Transport and Thermal Conductivity in an Acoustic Filter

We investigate the phonon ballistic transmission and the thermal conductivity in a dielectric quantum structure. It is found that these observable quantities sensitively depend on geometric parameters, and are of quantum character. The total transmission coetfficient as a function of the reduced waveguide-length exhibits periodical behaviour and the reduced thermal conductance decreases below the ideal universal value for the low temperature. Our results show that one can control the thermal conductivity of the structure and make all kinds of acoustic filters to match practical requirements in devices by adjusting the geometric parameters.     

Lattice vibrational properties of TmTe

We have investigated the lattice dynamical properties of a TmTe compound by using a breathing shell model suitable for this compound. The calculated phonon dispersion curves (PDC) reveal that this compound does not show any anomaly in their phonon properties. Our results on PDC, phonon density of states and lattice specific heat reveal that the phonon properties of this compound are like the other rare earth chalcogenides, particularly Eu-chalcogenides. We emphasize the need of measurements of the complete PDC of TmTe to support the present results on the calculated phonon properties.     

Calculated phonon dispersion of infinite-layer compounds and the effects of charge fluctuations

In a first step we use an ab initio rigid-ion model (RIM) to calculate the lattice parameters and the phonon dispersion of the infinite-layer compounds CaCuO₂, SrCuO₂, and BaCuO₂. We find an increase of both the planar and the axial lattice constant when going from CaCuO₂ through SrCuO₂ to BaCuO₂. The rate of increase of the planar lattice constant with respect to the alkaline-earth ionic radius is calculated to be smaller for the replacement of Sr by Ba than for the replacement of Ca by Sr. Both results are in accordance with experimental studies. The phonon dispersion in the RIM exhibits several unstable branches mainly related to axial displacements of the oxygens, indicating the tendency of the crystal to reconstruct in a lower-symmetry structure. The structural stability increases, however, towards BaCuO₂; simultaneously, the maximum phonon frequency decreases. AnA _2u zone-center mode with very large LO-TO-splitting exists in all three compounds (ferroelectric mode). In a second step charge fluctuations (CF) are taken into account at the copper- and oxygen ions, using SrCuO₂ as an example. Due to the vanishing of the ferroelectric split a branch with very steep dispersion forms in the [001] direction in the metallic phase whereas the zone-centerA _2u modes are unchanged in the insulating phase because of the two-dimensional (2D) electronic structure assumed. Characteristic nonlocal electron-phonon-interaction effects are associated with theZ-point Sr-axial-breathing mode: CF of uniform sign within the CuO planes but alternating sign in consecutive planes do occur in the metalic phase. This interplane charge transfer is, on the other hand, suppressed in the insulating phase due to the 2D electronic structure assumed. Instead, large induced site-potential changes emerge in this case.     

Acoustic phonon dynamics in strained cubic and hexagonal GaN/Al2O3 superlattices

We study the acoustic-phonon spectra in periodic and quasiperiodic (Fibonacci type) superlattices made up from III–V nitride materials (GaN) intercalated by sapphire (Al₂O₃). Due to the misalignments between the sapphire and the GaN layers that can lead to threading dislocation densities as high as 10⁸-10¹⁰ cm^-1, and a significant lattice mismatch (~14%), the phonon dynamics is described beyond the continuum elastic model using coupled elastic and electromagnetic equations, stressing the importance of the piezoelectric polarization field in a strained condition. We use a transfer-matrix treatment to simplify the algebra, which would be otherwise quite complicated, allowing a neat analytical expressions for the phonon dispersion relation. Furthermore, a quantitative analysis of the localization and magnitude of the allowed band widths in the phonon's spectra, as well as their scale law and the parametric spectrum of singularities f(α), are presented and discussed.     

Acoustic phonon transmission spectra in piezoelectric AlN/GaN Fibonacci phononic crystals

We study the acoustic-phonon transmission spectra in periodic and quasiperiodic (Fibonacci type) superlattices made up from the III-V nitride materials AlN and GaN. The phonon dynamics is described by a coupled elastic and electromagnetic equations within the static field approximation model, stressing the importance of the piezoelectric polarization field in a strained condition. We use a transfer-matrix treatment to simplify the algebra, which would be otherwise quite complicated, allowing a neat analytical expressions for the phonon transmission coefficients. Numerical results, for the normal incidence case, show a strike self-similar pattern for both hexagonal (class 6 mm) and cubic symmetries crystalizations of the nitrides.