Many-body exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of semiconductor quantum wires

Abstract

We consider theoretically the electron--electron interaction induced exchange-correlation effects in the lowest subband of a quasi-one-dimensional GaAs quantum wire structures. We calculate, within the leading order dynamical screening approximation ({\em i.e.} the so-called $GW$ approximation of the electron gas theory), the electron self-energy, spectral function, momentum distribution function, inelastic scattering rate, band gap renormalization, and, the many-body renormalization factor both at zero and finite temperatures, and, both with and without impurity scattering effects. We also calculate the effects of finite temperatures and finite impurity scattering on the many-body properties. We propose the possibility of a hot-electron transistor device with a large negative differential resistance which is based on the sudden onset of plasmon emission by energetic ballistic electrons in one dimension. The issue of the existence or non-existence of the Fermi surface among the interacting one-dimensional quantum wire electrons is critically discussed based on our numerical results.