Effect of the charge dragging in a graphene-based superlattice under a constant electric field

The effect of a constant electric field on the charge dragging by an electromagnetic wave is studied for graphene-based superlattice. An expression is derived for the electric current density in a graphene-based superlattice under a constant electric field in an approximation of a constant time of relaxation. It is demonstrated that the current as a function of wave intensity is of a nonmonotonous character.     

Mutual rectification of cnoidal and sinusoidal electromagnetic waves with orthogonal polarization planes in a graphene-based superlattice

The effect of mutual rectification of two electromagnetic waves in a graphene superlattice is studied for a cnoidal wave polarized along the superlattice axis and a sinusoidal wave polarized along the orthogonal direction. An expression for the density of the direct current generated by mixing of these waves is obtained. The direct current is studied as a function of the cnoidal wave amplitude. The possibility of varying both the value and the direction of the direct current with varying the cnoidal wave amplitude is shown.     

Effect of a constant electric field on mutual rectification in a graphene superlattice

The effect of a transverse dc electric field on two-wave mutual rectification in a graphene superlattice (GSL) is investigated. Two field orientations are considered: (i) the polarization plane is parallel to the GSL axis and (ii) the polarization plane is perpendicular to the GSL axis. In both cases, the constant field is perpendicular to the polarization plane. The current density is calculated within a one-miniband model using the Boltzmann equation in the approximation of constant relaxation time.     

Mutual rectification of alternating currents in graphene in the field of two electromagnetic waves

For graphene placed in a dc magnetic field and exposed to two electromagnetic waves of the same polarization but different frequencies, an expression for the direct current density in a direction perpendicular to the polarization plane of the waves is derived. The direct current component is nonzero for the wave frequency ratio equal to two; it is proportional to the magnetic field strength, the electric field strength of the higher-frequency wave, and the squared electric field strength of the lower-frequency wave. The physical mechanism of the current generation is similar to the Hall effect.     

Optical characterization of weakly absorbing PP,PE, and PP/PE films

The interaction between a solitary electromagnetic wave and a narrow layer with an increased electron concentration in a semiconductor superlattice in a preset uniform alternating electric field directed along the superlattice axis is investigated. The model of the electron energy spectrum in the superlattice is chosen in the strong coupling approximation taking into account the second harmonic. It is shown that, for certain relations between the amplitude and frequency of the alternating electric field, a solitary electromagnetic wave approaching the layer with an increased electron concentration can be trapped by this layer.     

Plasma-Resonance Effects in Nonlinear Reflection of an Electromagnetic Wave from a Semiconductor Superlattice

We show that dynamical localization of electrons in a thin semiconductor superlattice irradiated by a TM electromagnetic wave can lead to the formation of multistable states of the high-frequency field, which is accompanied by significant distortions of the reflection characteristics of superlattices. This effect is caused by the phenomenon of nonlinear plasma resonance and the related significant increase in the component of an alternating electric field, parallel to the superlattice axis, in the case where the real part of the corresponding component of the tensor of nonlinear dielectric permittivity becomes zero. It is found that the generation efficiency of odd harmonics of the radiation increases considerably under resonance conditions.     

Radiofrequency magnetoresistance of Fe/Cr superlattices

The rf magnetoresistance of Fe/Cr superlattices is studied for two orientations of the current: parallel and across the superlattice layers. A mutually single-valued correspondence is established between the relative magnetoresistance measured at dc current and the change in the transmission coefficient of electromagnetic waves in the magnetic field. When rf currents flow across the layers, the relative change in the signal amplitude is proportional to twice the change in the electrical resistance of the superlattice and is of opposite sign. It is shown that the rf losses are determined by the surface resistance which is proportional to the superlattice thickness and inversely proportional to its conductivity. An equation is derived for the rf electric field distribution in the superlattice. It is established that when the thickness of the superlattice is small compared with the skin layer depth, field and current components which penetrate through the entire superlattice exist.     

Coherent photogalvanic valley Hall effect

The theory of the coherent photogalvanic valley Hall effect in two-dimensional systems with the Dirac spectrum of charge carriers is formulated. The study deals with a two-dimensional sample irradiated by two electromagnetic waves, at the fundamental and doubled frequencies. Both frequencies exceed the band gap of the material, whereas the wave with the fundamental frequency having circular polarization and a high intensity is taken into account in a nonperturbative manner. The wave at the doubled frequency is linearly polarized and the electrical conductivity of the two-dimensional system is calculated with respect to it. The effect under study manifests itself as the dc Hall current in the direction orthogonal to the electric field of the weak electromagnetic wave. It is assumed that, in equilibrium, the sample is in the insulating state with the completely occupied valence band and empty conduction band. The strong electromagnetic wave induces a nonequilibrium filling of the bands and the system passes to a strongly nonequilibrium steady state. The behavior of the Hall current in the case of nonequilibrium distribution functions is analyzed both including and disregarding the intraband relaxation and interband recombination.     

Optical property and collective excitation of plasmon in a multiple-quantum-well superlattice in electric field

A finite type-I superlattice with different dielectric media on either side of the surfaces is considered under a perturbing electric fields parallel to the superlattice axis on the basis of an infinite square potential well. Using the random-phase approximation, the density–density correlation function including intra- and inter-level transitions in a multiple-quantum-well (MQW) is calculated. The dispersion relations for the surface and the bulk states are obtained as functions of the momentum wave vector and the averaged electric field strength over the quantum well. The Raman intensities due to the bulk and the surface plasmons for the intra- and the inter-level transitions are also obtained for incoming light energy.     

Effect of the mutual rectification of two electromagnetic waves with perpendicular polarization planes in a superlattice based on graphene

The effect of the mutual rectification of two electromagnetic waves with perpendicular polarization planes in a superlattice based on graphene was investigated. It was shown that, due to the nonadditive nature of the electronic spectrum of a superlattice based on grapheme, a constant term of current arises along its axes. The dependence of the constant of current density on the intensity of an electromagnetic wave is oscillatory in nature.     

Wave refraction and backward magnon–plasmon polaritons in left-handed antiferromagnet/semiconductor superlattices

Characteristics of the bulk electromagnetic waves in teraHertz frequency region are examined in a left-handed superlattice (SL) which consists of alternating layers of nonmagnetic semiconductor and nonconducting antiferromagnetic materials. General problem on the sign of the refractive index for anisotropic media is considered. It is shown that the phase refraction index is always positive while the group refractive index can be negative when some general conditions are fulfilled. Effective permittivity and permeability tensors of the SL are derived for perpendicular and parallel orientation of the magnetic anisotropy axis with respect to the plane of the layers. Problem of anomalous refraction for transverse electric and transverse magnetic-type polarized waves is examined in such media. Analytical expressions for both the phase and group refractive indices are obtained for various propagated modes. It is shown that, in general, three different types of the refracted waves with different relative orientation of the phase and group velocity vectors are possible in left-handed media. Unusual peculiarities of the backward modes corresponding to the coupled magnon–plasmon polaritons are considered. It is shown, in particular, that the number of the backward modes depends on the free charge carrier's density in semiconductor layers, variation of which allows to create different frequency regions for the wave propagation.     

Giant magnetoresistance of iron-chromium superlattices at microwaves

Interaction between an rf electromagnetic field and the Fe/Cr superlattice placed in a rectangular waveguide so that a high-frequency current passes in the plane of superlattice layers is considered. The transmission coefficient versus the magnetic field strength is found at centimeter waves, and a correlation between this dependence and the field dependence of the dc magnetoresistance is established. It is shown that a change in the transmission coefficient may greatly exceed the giant magnetoresistance of the superlattice. The frequency dependence of the microwave measurements has an oscillatory character. The oscillation frequencies are analyzed in terms of wavelet transformation. Two types of oscillation periods are found to exist, one of which corresponds to the resonance of waves traveling in the superlattice along the direction parallel to the narrow wall of the waveguide.     

Effect of high magnetic fields on the conductivity of a quantum cylinder under Stark ladder conditions

The conductivity of a quantum cylinder with a parabolic lateral confinement potential and a superstructure is studied under conditions where uniform static quantizing electric and magnetic fields are applied along the cylinder axis. The charge carriers are assumed to be scattered by optical phonons. The dependence of the current density along the superlattice axis on the dc magnetic field is obtained. It is shown that, under certain conditions, the so-called Stark-hybrid-phonon resonance appears due to the hybridization of the electronic energy spectrum. In turn, this gives rise to a sharply nonmonotonic magnetic-field dependence of the current density.     

Amplification of terahertz radiation in carbon nanotubes

We investigate theoretically the feasibility of amplification of terahertz radiation in aligned achiral carbon nanotubes, a zigzag (12,0) and an armchair (10,10) in comparison with a superlattice using a combination of a constant direct current (dc) and a high-frequency alternate current (ac) electric fields. The electric current density expression is derived using the semiclassical Boltzmann transport equation with a constant relaxation time. The electric field is applied along the nanotube axis. Analysis of the current density versus electric field characteristics reveals a negative differential conductivity behavior at high frequency, as well as photon assisted peaks. The photon assisted peaks are about an order of magnitude higher in the carbon nanotubes compared to the superlattice. These strong phenomena in carbon nanotubes can be used to obtain domainless amplification of terahertz radiation at room temperature.     

Multistability,absolute negative conductivity and spontaneous current generation in semiconductor superlattices in large magnetic fields

We discuss electron transport through a semiconductor superlattice subject to an electric field parallel to, and a magnetic field perpendicular to, the growth axis using a semiclassical balance equation model. We find that the current–voltage characteristic becomes multistable in a large magnetic field; furthermore, hot electrons display novel features in their current–voltage characteristic, including absolute negative conductivity and a spontaneously generated dc current at zero bias.     

The Franz-Keldysh effect in superlattices in the field of a nonlinear electromagnetic wave

We study the effect of interminiband breakdown in a semiconductor quantum superlattice in a constant electric field and in the field of a nonlinear wave whose intensities are directed along the superlattice axis. The problem has been solved in the quasiclassical approximation for an arbitrary ratio between the widths of the allowed and forbidden minibands. In particular cases, we have obtained formulas for the breakdown probability in the presence of only one field, as well as for a linear wave and a solitary wave (soliton). It is shown that the probability of interminiband breakdown increases with the nonlinearity parameter of the electromagnetic wave k. The absorption coefficient of the nonlinear wave is calculated for typical parameters of the superlattice. Pedagogical University, Volgograd, Russia. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 758–766, June, 1998.     

Generating high harmonics in a superlattice based on graphene in the presence of static and alternating electric fields

The generation of high harmonics of current density in a superlattice based on graphene on a striped substrate is considered under the influence of static and alternating electric fields polarized along the superlattice axis. The areas of system parameter values are revealed for the first four harmonics, the amplitude of each of which surpasses the other three.     

Absolute negative conductivity and spontaneous current generation in semiconductor superlattices with hot electrons

We study transport through a semiconductor superlattice with an electric field parallel to and a magnetic field perpendicular to the growth axis. Using a semiclassical balance equation model with elastic and inelastic scattering, we find that (1) the current-voltage characteristic becomes multistable in a large magnetic field and (2) "hot" electrons display novel features in their current-voltage characteristics, including absolute negative conductivity and a spontaneous dc current at zero bias. We discuss experimental situations providing hot electrons to observe these effects.     

Generation of Acoustic Phonons in Semiconductor Superlattice in the Case of an Intraband Absorption of Electromagnetic Wave

We obtain the damping coefficient of an acoustic wave for the case of intraband multiphoton absorption of an electromagnetic wave in a superlattice. The ranges in which the acoustic damping coefficient reverses sign are determined for the sound-propagation directions which are transverse and parallel to the superlattice axis. Numerical summation of the series for the acoustic-wave gain is performed for typical parameters of the superlattice. The gain is estimated numerically. It is noted that multiphoton absorption affects the acoustic-wave gain in the superlattice if the field value is much smaller than that in a standard semiconductor. __________ Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Radiofizika, Vol. 48, No. 5, pp. 436–440, May 2005.     

Possibility of the propagation of an electromagnetic soliton in a two-dimensional superlattice

A two-dimensional electron structure in a system with a periodic potential, i.e., a two-dimensional superlattice, is investigated. An equation is derived describing the propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a two-dimensional superlattice. It is shown that an electromagnetic soliton can propagate in a two-dimensional superlattice, where it is detectable experimentally because it can induce a pulsed entrainment current. The influence of an elliptically polarized (specified) electromagnetic wave on the form of the soliton is also investigated. It is shown that a solitary wave can be amplified under certain conditions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1470–1472 (August 1997)