Polaron mass of charge carriers in semiconductor quantum wells

A theory of the interaction of charge carriers with optical phonons in a quantum well is developed with consideration for interface optical phonons. The dependence of the polaron effective mass on the quantum-well dimensions and dielectric characteristics of barriers is analyzed in detail. It is shown that, in narrow quantum wells, a quasi-two-dimensional polaron can be formed. In this case, however, the interaction parameters are defined by the charge-carrier effective mass in the quantum well and by the frequencies of interface optical phonons. If barriers are made of a nonpolar material, the polaron effective mass depends on the quantum-well width. As the quantum-well width is increased, a new mechanism of enhancement of the electron–phonon interaction develops. The mechanism is implemented, if the optical phonon energy is equal to the energy of one of the electronic transitions. This condition yields an unsteady dependence of the polaron effective mass on the quantum-well width.