%0 Journal Article %J Applied Physics Letters %D 1996 %T Temperature of quasi-two-dimensional electron gases under steady-state terahertz drive %A Asmar, N. G. %A Cerne, J. %A Markelz, A. G. %A Gwinn, E. G. %A Sherwin, M. S. %A Campman, K. L. %A Gossard, A. C. %K hot-electrons %K Physics %X

We use photoluminescence to study the time-average energy distribution of electrons in the presence of strong steady-state drive at terahertz (THz) frequencies, in a modulation-doped 125 Angstrom AlGaAs/GaAs square well that is held at low lattice temperature TL. We find that the energy distribution can be characterized by an effective electron temperature, T-e(>T-L), that agrees well with values estimated from the THz-illuminated, dc conductivity. This agreement indicates that under strong THz drive, LO phonon scattering dominates both energy and momentum relaxation; that the carrier distribution maintains a heated, thermal form; and that phonon drift effects are negligible. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.

%B Applied Physics Letters %V 68 %P 829-831 %8 Feb %@ 0003-6951 %G English %9 Article %M WOS:A1996TT66300035 %! Appl. Phys. Lett.Appl. Phys. Lett. %R 10.1063/1.116547