Polaron effects in asymmetric semiconductor quantum-well structures

In this paper, polaron effects in asymmetric quantum-well structures (QW's) are investigated by using second-order perturbation theory and the modified Lee-Low-Pines (LLP) variational method. By applying the Green's-function method, explicit analytical expressions for the electron extended-state wave functions and the density of states in a general step QW's are given. Within the framework of second-order perturbation theory, the ground-state polaron binding energy and effective mass in step and asymmetric single QW's are studied as due to the interface optical phonons, confined bulklike LO and half-space LO phonons. The full energy spectrum is included in our calculations. The effects of the finite electronic confinement potential and the subband nonparabolicity are also considered. The relative importance of the different phonon modes is analyzed. By means of the modified LLP variational method, the binding energy of a polaron confined to asymmetric single QW's is also investigated. Our results show that in ordinary asymmetric QW's, the asymmetry of the QW's has a significant influence on the polaron effect, which has a close relationship to the interface phonon dispersion. When the well width and one side barrier height of asymmetric single QW's are fixed and identical with those of symmetric QW's, the polaron binding energy in asymmetric QW's is always smaller than that in symmetric QW's. We have also found that it is necessary to include the continuum energy spectrum as intermediate states in the perturbation calculations in order to obtain the correct results; the subband nonparabolicity has a small influence on the polaron effect. Comparing our results obtained by using two different methods, good agreement is found.