Mobility and quantum mobility of modern GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures

Abstract

In modern GaAs/Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As heterostructures with record high mobilities, a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a quantum well is provided by two remote donor $\delta$-layers placed on both sides of the well. Each $\delta$-layer is located within a narrow GaAs well, flanked by narrow AlAs layers which capture excess electrons from donors. We show that each excess electron is localized in a compact dipole atom with the nearest donor. Nevertheless, excess electrons screen both the remote donors and background impurities. When the fraction of remote donors filled by excess electrons $f$ is small, the remote donor limited quantum mobility grows as $f^{3}$ and becomes larger than the background impurity limited one at a characteristic value $f_c$. We also calculate both the mobility and the quantum mobility limited by the screened background impurities with concentrations $N_1$ in Al$_x$Ga$_{1-x}$As and $N_2$ in GaAs, which allows one to estimate $N_1$ and $N_2$ from the measured mobilities. Taken together, our findings should help to identify avenues for further improvement of modern heterostructures.