Subband structure of a nearly free, uniform-density, dilute electron system in a wide quantum well

Abstract

Quantum oscillations in the magnetoresistance of an electron system realized in a selectively doped, wide parabolic quantum well of ${\mathrm{Al}}_x{\mathrm{Ga}}_{1-x}\mathrm{As}$ are analyzed to obtain the electron densities of the electric subbands. Self-consistent calculations of the subband structure predict that the electrons in the well occupy four electric subbands, and that the total electron wave function is nearly constant over the central 1000 Å of the well. The measured subband densities agree with the predictions of the calculation remarkably well, verifying the realization of the electron system designed.