Energy loss to intravalley acoustic modes in nano-dimensional wire structures at low temperatures

Highlights: • Energy loss rate of electrons in a nano-dimensional wire is studied at low temperatures. • Theory based on assumes elastic interaction and equipartition law not valid at low temperatures. • Here inelasticity of interaction and true phonon distribution are considered. • Numerical results obtained for GaAs exhibit interesting features. • Finite energy of intravalley acoustic phonon changes the low temperature loss characteristics. The theory of rate of loss of energy of non-equilibrium electrons due to inelastic interaction with the intravalley acoustic phonons in a nano-dimensional semiconductor wire has been developed under the condition of low lattice temperature, when the approximations of the well known traditional theory are not valid. Numerical results are obtained for narrow-channel GaAs-GaAlAs wires structures. On comparison with other available results it is revealed that the finite energy of the intravalley acoustic phonons and, the use of the full form of the phonon distribution without truncation to the equipartition law, produce significant changes in the energy loss characteristics at low temperatures.