  We have observed an unusual dc current spontaneously generated in the
conducting channel of a short-gated GaAs transistor. The magnitude and
direction of this current critically depend upon the voltage applied to the
gate. We propose that it is initiated by the injection of hot electrons from
the gate that relax via phonon emission. The phonons then excite secondary
electrons from asymmetrically distributed impurities in the channel, which
leads to the observed current.
