Interaction of a Surface Acoustic Wave with a Two-dimensional Electron Gas

When a surface acoustic wave (SAW) propagates on the surface of a GaAs semiconductor, coupling between electrons in the two-dimensional electron gas beneath the interface and the elastic host crystal through piezoelectric interaction will attenuate the SAW. The coupling coefficient is calculated for the SAW propagating along an arbitrary direction. It is found that the coupling strength is strongly dependent on the propagating direction. When the SAW propagates along the [011] direction, the coupling becomes quite weak.