Negative transverse magnetoresistance of the two-dimensional electron gas in quantum well with parabolic confinement potential under an in-plane magnetic field

Abstract

We developed a quantitative theory of transverse magnetoresistance for the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in a quantum well with parabolic confinement potential in the magnetic field in the plane of the free movement of electrons. Our theory is based on the solution of Boltzmann kinetic equation for the components of the tensors of kinetic coefficients, when the perturbing force is directed along the plane of the free movement of electrons, and Titeike's formula for the diagonal component of the conductivity along the direction of confinement, based on the idea of the drift of the centres of cyclotron orbits in the crossed electric and magnetic fields. Numerical calculations have been performed for the 2D electron gas in GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs QWs. It is shown, that the magnetoresistance is negative and equal about 50% in the weak magnetic field case, ωc<<ω0 if the quantum limit ω0 > k0T is fulfilled. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd.