Quantum lifetime of two-dimensional holes

The quantum lifetime of two-dimensional holes in a GaAs/AlGaAs double quantum well is determined via tunneling spectroscopy. At low temperatures the lifetime is limited by impurity scattering but at higher temperatures hole–hole Coulomb scattering dominates. Our results are consistent with the Fermi liquid theory, at least up to rs=11rs=11. At the highest temperatures the measured width of the hole spectral function becomes comparable to the Fermi energy. A new, tunneling–spectroscopic method for determining the in-plane effective mass of the holes is also demonstrated.