Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 9, 2026

High Resolution Phonon-assisted Quasi-resonance Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Published on: June 28, 2016
Quantum theory of plasmon-phonon scattering in multisubband systems
Sofia Ribeiro1, Hugo Terças2,3
1Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light, Staudtstraße 2, D-91058 Erlangen, Germany.
Abstract:
We present a first-principles quantum theory of a critical yet unexplored energy-loss pathway in low-dimensional semiconductors: resonant second-order scattering between multisubband (MSB) plasmons mediated by longitudinal optical phonons. Specifically, we demonstrate how a high-energy MSB plasmon decays into a lower-energy plasmon state via phonon emission-a fundamental process governing energy relaxation and decoherence in quantum wells. Through exact diagonalization of the coupled plasmon-phonon system and derivation of an effective Hamiltonian, we identifydensity-tunable resonance conditionsthat maximize scattering efficiency. Our numerical simulations for GaInAs quantum wells reveal scattering rates (∼10ns-1) competitive with radiative losses, with carrier density acting as a control knob. These results resolve the interplay of collective electronic and vibrational modes in confined systems, providing design principles to mitigate losses in infrared photodetectors, quantum cascade lasers, and plasmon-based quantum devices.
Related Concept Videos
The de Broglie Wavelength
¹H NMR: Interpreting Distorted and Overlapping Signals
As Δν decreases and the signals move closer, the doublets appear increasingly distorted. The intensities of the inner lines increase at the cost of those of the outer lines as the signals are...
The Quantum-Mechanical Model of an Atom
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to...
Molecular Spectroscopy: Absorption and Emission
Interpreting ¹H NMR Signal Splitting: The (n + 1) Rule

