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Acoustic Carrier Transport in GaAs Nanowires

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Length-Scale Dependent Phonon Interactions

Part of the book series: Topics in Applied Physics ((TAP,volume 128))

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Abstract

Present semiconductor technologies allow the growth of different types of nanostructures, such as quantum wells, wires, and dots on the surface of a single semiconductor crystal. The piezoelectric field of surface acoustic waves (SAWs) propagating on the crystal surface provides an efficient mechanism for the controlled exchange of electrons and holes between these nanostructures. In this review, we explore this ability of dynamic SAW fields to demonstrate acoustically driven single-photon sources using coupled quantum wells and dots based on (Al,Ga)As (311)A material system. We address the growth of the coupled nanostructures by molecular beam epitaxy, the dynamics of the acoustic carrier transfer between them, as well as the acoustic control of recombination in quantum dots. The latter provides the basis for the operation of the acoustically driven single-photon sources, which are characterized by a low jitter and repetition frequency close to 1 GHz.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been the results of many fruitful collaborations. Our special thanks are addressed to R Hey for the supply of state-of-the-art molecular-beam epitaxy samples, as well as to F. Alsina, F. Iikawa, J. A. H. Stotz, R. Nötzel, and U. Jahn for the collaboration in the field of carrier transport in QWRs. We also thank A. Tahraoui for discussions and comments on the manuscript. Finally, we also acknowledge the technical support from A.-K. Bluhm, M. Höricke, S. Krauß, W. Seidel, H.-P. Schönherr, and E. Wiebicke in the fabrication of the samples. This work was supported by the NanoQUIT consortium, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF), Germany.

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  1. Snežana Lazić

    Present address: Departamento de Física de Materiales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28049, Madrid, Spain

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik, Hausvogteiplatz 5–7, 10117, Berlin, Germany

    Snežana Lazić, Rudolf Hey & Paulo V. Santos

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  1. Snežana Lazić
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  2. Rudolf Hey
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Correspondence to Snežana Lazić .

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  1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    Subhash L. Shindé

  2. School of Physics, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom

    Gyaneshwar P. Srivastava

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Lazić, S., Hey, R., Santos, P.V. (2014). Acoustic Carrier Transport in GaAs Nanowires. In: Shindé, S., Srivastava, G. (eds) Length-Scale Dependent Phonon Interactions. Topics in Applied Physics, vol 128. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8651-0_9

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