A quantum well structure having a host optical phonon confinement well (11) having a characteristic phonon distribution (16), and at least one charge carrier confinement well (17) located near a minima of the phonon distribution (16). In one embodiment, a wide bandgap layer (13) is formed in a central portion of the host optical phonon confinement well (11), wherein the wide bandgap layer (13) has phonon properties closely matching that of the host phonon confinement well (11).

A electro-desorption compression system according to the present invention comprises an enclosure which includes first and second spaced-apart electrical conductors, a sorbent which is positioned in the enclosure between the first and second conductors, a sorbate which is capable of combining with the sorbent in an adsorption reaction to form a sorbate/sorbent compound, a power supply which is connected to the first and second conductors and which generates an electrical current that is conducted through the sorbate/sorbent compound to desorb the sorbate from the sorbent in a desorption reaction, and a pressure chamber which is connected to the enclosure and which receives the sorbate from the enclosure during the desorption reaction and releases the sorbate into the enclosure during the adsorption reaction. The adsorption and desorption reactions are repeated to cycle the sorbate between a relatively low pressure state during the adsorption reaction and a relatively high pressure state during the desorption reaction. Furthermore, the desorption reaction is substantially non-thermal.