Electronic transport studies of a systematic series of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

The results of experimental transport studies involving a series of five narrow Al0.1Ga0.9As/GaAs quantum wells with well widths ranging from 7.9 to 33.0 nm are reported. The total transport scattering rate measured in thin AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wells is typically limited by electron scattering from the interfacial roughness of the quantum well. For a relatively low constant electron density (n(e)similar to 5.8x10(10) cm(-2)), the authors find that interfacial roughness is the dominant scattering mechanism for L = 16.0 nm and describe the data using a finite quantum well model with adjustable interfacial roughness parameters. Temperature dependence data are also presented. (C) 2007 American Institute of Physics.