title: Deformation potentials and electron-phonon coupling in silicon nanowires.
abstract: The role of reduced dimensionality and of the surface on electron-phonon (e-ph) coupling in silicon nanowires is determined from first principles. Surface termination and chemistry is found to have a relatively small influence, whereas reduced dimensionality fundamentally alters the behavior of deformation potentials. As a consequence, electron coupling to "breathing modes" emerges that cannot be described by conventional treatments of e-ph coupling. The consequences for physical properties such as scattering lengths and mobilities are significant: the mobilities for [110] grown wires are 6 times larger than those for [100] wires, an effect that cannot be predicted without the form we find for Si nanowire deformation potentials.
authors.affiliation: Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork, Lee Maltings, Cork, Ireland. philip.murphy@tyndall.ie
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Murphy-Armando
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fagas
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Greer
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D004583:Electrons; D008956:Models, Chemical; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D012825:Silicon