The scattering rate of free electrons due to polar interactions with LO phonons in two-dimensional structures (e.g., semiconductor heterojunctions and quantum wells) is calculated as a function of the electron energy, electron and lattice temperatures, the carrier density, and the layer thickness. A many-body perturbative formalism is used with phonon-emission and -absorption self-energy terms obtained explicitly. Effects of screening and degeneracy on the scattering rate are critically discussed. Detailed numerical results for the experimentally well-studied modulation-doped GaAs heterojunctions and quantum wells are given.

• Received 7 November 1986

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.35.3890