Numerical investigation of a piezoelectric surface acoustic wave interaction with a one-dimensional channel

We investigate the propagation of a piezoelectric surface acoustic wave (SAW) across a GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs heterostructure surface, on which there is a fixed metallic split gate. Our method is based on a finite element formulation of the underlying equations of motion, and is performed in three dimensions fully incorporating the geometry and material composition of the substrate and gates. We demonstrate attenuation of the SAW amplitude as a result of the presence of both mechanical and electrical gates on the surface. We show that the incorporation of a simple model for the screening by the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), results in a total electric potential modulation that suggests a mechanism for the capture and release of electrons by the SAW. Our simulations suggest the absence of any significant turbulence in the SAW motion which could hamper the operation of SAW based quantum devices of a more complex geometry.