We work out a theory of piezoelectricity in an actual semiconductor heterostructure which is composed of a lattice-mismatched zinc-blende layer grown on a [001]-oriented substrate. In contrast to earlier theories, we predict a large density of fixed bulk piezoelectric charges, which are induced by strain fluctuations connected with interface roughness. The piezoelectric charges create a high electric field. The random piezoelectric field presents a conceptually new important scattering mechanism. The system of charge carriers in such a heterostructure becomes strongly disordered and includes generally both free electron-hole pairs near the interface and excitons far from it.

• Received 2 January 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.89.077601