Abstract
A simple model is used to highlight the main features of electron scattering in a quantum well via the Fröhlich interaction with confined LO polar optical phonon modes. It is shown that the scalar potential field associated with strongly confined modes is different from that assumed by other authors, and consequently quite different results are obtained. One of the possible interface modes is shown to be mainly responsible for intrasubband scattering in thin wells, and as a result the scattering rate is proportional to the density of states and this increases with diminishing well width. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.39.5282 © 1989 The American Physical Society