Statistical Theory of the Phonon Drag Force Acting on a Conduction Electron

Abstract

Within the framework of microscopic fluctuation-dissipation theory, we obtain the stochastic equation describing the Brownian motion of an electron in the phonon field of the crystal lattice. An expression for the Green's function of the phonon field is found in general form and for the case of linear phonon-variable interaction of an electron with the phonon field with allowance for the potential screening of crystal-lattice nuclei. An expression for the phonon drag acting on a conduction electron in the lattice field is found and analyzed with allowance for the interaction. Frequency dependence of the coefficient of the phonon drag acting on a conduction electron is studied and the contribution of the electron-phonon interaction to the effective mass of a charge carrier is determined.