The effect of electric field inhomogeneity on the QUILLS process

Abstract

The electric field in the active layer of an n+nn+ GaAs device is not uniform in practice. The author therefore decided to solve the Schrodinger equation for electron motion under crossed electric (inhomogeneous) and uniform magnetic fields, using the effective-mass approximation. The size dependence of the quasi-elastic inter-Landau-level scattering (QUILLS) process reported experimentally is explained qualitatively in terms of the effect of electric field inhomogeneity on energy eigenvalues and electron eigenfunctions.