Resonant crossover of terahertz loss to the gain of a Bloch oscillating InAs/AlSb superlattice

Terahertz absorption in waveguides loaded with InAs/AlSb super-superlattice mesas reveals a frequency dependent crossover from loss to gain that is related to the Stark ladder produced by an applied dc electric field. Electric field domains appear to be suppressed in the super-superlattice composed of many very short segments of superlattice, interrupted by heavily doped InAs regions. Resonant crossover is indicated by an increase in terahertz transmission as the Stark splitting or Bloch frequency determined by the applied dc electric field exceeds the measurement frequency.     

Carrier dynamics and dispersive terahertz Bloch gain in semiconductor superlattices

We have directly determined the spectral shape of the complex conductivities of Bloch oscillating electrons by using time-domain terahertz (THz)-electrooptic sampling technique and presented an experimental evidence for a dispersive Bloch gain in superlattices. This unique dispersive gain without population inversion arises from a non-classical nature of Bloch oscillations; i.e., the phase of the Bloch oscillation is shifted by π/2 from that of the semi-classical charged harmonic oscillation when driven by the same AC field. By increasing the bias electric field, the gain bandwidth reached in our particular sample.     

Interwell excitons in GaAs superlattices

The formation of spatially indirect excitons in superlattices with narrow minibands is investigated experimentally. The interwell exciton is similar to the first Wannier–Stark localized exciton of an electrically biased superlattice. However, in the present case the localization is mediated by the Coulomb interaction of the electron and the hole without external fields.     

Dispersive terahertz gain of a nonclassical oscillator: BLOCH oscillation in semiconductor superlattices

We have directly determined the spectral shape of the complex conductivities of Bloch oscillating electrons by using the time-domain terahertz (THz) electro-optic sampling technique, and presented experimental evidence for a dispersive Bloch gain in superlattices. This unique dispersive gain without population inversion arises from a nonclassical nature of Bloch oscillations; that is, the phase of the Bloch oscillation is shifted by pi/2 from that of the semiclassical charged harmonic oscillation when driven by the same ac field. By increasing the bias electric field, the gain bandwidth reached approximately 3 THz in our particular sample.     

Terahertz conductivity and possible BLOCH gain in semiconductor superlattices

We have investigated terahertz emission due to dynamical electron transport in wide-miniband GaAs/Al(0.3)Ga0.7As superlattices. By noting that the time-domain THz emission spectroscopy inherently measures the step-response of the electron system to the bias electric field, the obtained THz spectra were compared with the high-frequency conductivities predicted for miniband transport. Excellent agreement between theory and experiment strongly supports that the THz gain due to Bloch oscillating electrons persists at least up to 1.7 THz. It was also found that Zener tunneling into the second miniband sets the high-frequency limit to the THz gain for the samples studied here.     

Acoustic analogue of electronic BLOCH oscillations and resonant Zener tunneling in ultrasonic superlattices

We demonstrate the existence of Bloch oscillations of acoustic fields in sound propagation through a superlattice of water cavities and layers of methyl methacrylate. To obtain the acoustic equivalent of a Wannier-Stark ladder, we employ a set of cavities with different thicknesses. Bloch oscillations are observed as time-resolved oscillations of transmission in a direct analogy to electronic Bloch oscillations in biased semiconductor superlattices. Moreover, for a particular gradient of cavity thicknesses, an overlap of two acoustic minibands occurs, which results in resonant Zener-like transmission enhancement.     

Optical Absorption Spectra and Intraband Dynamics in Terahertz-Driven Semiconductor Superlattice

We have theoretically investigated the optical absorption spectrum and intraband dynamics by subjecting a superlattice to both a terahertz (THz)-frequency driving field and an optical pulse by using an excitonic basis.In the presence of a THz dc field, the satellite structures in the absorption spectra are presented. The satellite structure is a result from the THz nonlinear dynamics of Wannier-Stark ladder excitons. On the other hand, the coherent intraband polarization is investigated. We find that the excitonic Bloch oscillation is driven by the THz field and yields an intraband polarization that continues to oscillate at times much longer than the intraband dephasing time. The temporal evolution of the slowly varying components of the intraband polarization is dependent on the THz frequency.     

Fano resonances in semiconductor superlattices

We use semiconductor superlattices as a model system for the investigation of Fano resonances. In absorption the excitonic transitions of the Wannier–Stark ladder show the typical asymmetric line shape due to coupling to the continuum of lower-lying transitions. The unique feature of these Fano resonances is that they allow to continuously tune the key parameter – the coupling strength Γ between the discrete state and the degenerate continuum – by varying the bias voltage. Using this feature, we directly show that the Fano coupling leads to a fast polarization decay. We also investigate the dependence of the Fano parameters on the structure of the superlattice and compare with an extensive theoretical model of the resonances.     

Electric field distribution in biased GaAs microstructures with field-pinning layers

Field-pinning layers are an approach to improve the homogeneity of the electric field in a biased semiconductor structure of length above the Kroemer criterion. Building a THz Bloch oscillator with such a structure requires superlattice regions. Nevertheless, GaAs layers are investigated here. We compare different periodic structures (alternating transit and field-pinning layers) via simulating the field distribution. It is shown that the development of propagating Gunn domains is suppressed when field-pinning layers are included, but the homogeneity of the field is still not satisfying for the purpose of building a Bloch gain THz source. Depending on the temperature, intra- and inter-period inhomogeneities occur.     

Theory of electronic light scattering in lateral superlattices with Rashba spin–orbit coupling under quantizing electric and magnetic fields

The influence of an in-plane electric and out-of-plane magnetic field on the electronic light scattering is calculated for a lateral semiconductor superlattice within Rashba spin–orbit interaction. Sharp resonances are predicted to appear when the Raman shift matches one frequency of the Wannier–Stark ladder. The spin–orbit interaction gives rise to a dispersion of the exact one-particle eigenstates and an associated finite width of the Raman line, which can be tuned by the electric and magnetic field. When the Bloch frequency is located in this Raman line, a Fano resonance is observed.     

Resonance structure of dynamic fractional Stark ladders in laser-driven biased superlattices

The resonance structure of an electronic Floquet state in a dynamic fractional Stark ladder (DFSL) is examined based on the scattering theory applied to a dressed potential resulting from renormalization of a laser-electron interaction to an original potential. Here, the DFSL is realized in laser-driven biased superlattices with a fractional matching ratio of a Bloch frequency to a laser frequency. It is revealed that, in contrast to a conventional understanding, the DFSL resonance position and lifetime tend to redshift and shorten, respectively, with an increase in strength of the laser field, and further, these show irregular changes in a limited region of the strength. The underlying physics is discussed in detail.     

Large negative differential resistance in graphene nanoribbon superlattices

A graphene nanoribbon superlattice with a large negative differential resistance (NDR) is proposed. Our results show that the peak-to-valley ratio (PVR) of the graphene superlattices can reach 21 at room temperature with bias voltages between 90–220 mV, which is quite large compared with the one of traditional graphene-based devices. It is found that the NDR is strongly influenced by the thicknesses of the potential barrier. Therefore, the NDR effect can be optimized by designing a proper barrier thickness. The large NDR effect can be attributed to the splitting of the gap in transmission spectrum (segment of Wannier–Stark ladder) with larger thicknesses of barrier when the applied voltage increases.     

Extremely high-frequency piezoelectroacoustic transducer based on BN-tube/SiC-whiskers rope

Innovative idea of piezoelectric electroacoustic transducer in extremely high-frequency terahertz range on the basis of BN-tube/SiC-whiskers rope is suggested and substantiated. Unlike an acoustic spectrum of solid rectangular pins and films used so far in ultrasonic pulsers and receivers, in the acoustic spectrum of circular hollow nanotubes, the peculiar squash E_2g and the subsequent E_ng modes of starlike chain belonging to a gallery of whispering acoustic modes was shown by ab initio RHF/6-31G calculations to exist in the Raman spectra. Inherent important feature of these standing vibrations is their weak attenuation and high frequency, which, as depended on the nanotube diameter, fall in the range of about 1 GHz–1 THz. Hypersound was suggested to be excited by resonant microwaves using the piezoelectric properties of BN heteropolar nanotubes and then to transmit it into a sample by high modulus encapsulated SiC-whiskers. Such BN-tube/SiC-whiskers of 100–800 nm in diameter and with 20 aspect ratio were synthesized by carbothermal and CVD techniques. Cactus-like arrays of SiC nanowhiskers were synthesized by CVD technique. A sketch of the hypersound generator/detector, with the piezoelectroacoustical transducer on the basis of the BN-tube/SiC-whisker assembly serving as hypersonic antenna, was advanced.     

Wannier–Stark effect in strongly coupled three quantum well structures and superlattices

The Wannier–Stark effect has been investigated in strongly coupled three quantum well structures and 23.5 period superlattices consisting of 25Å wide GaAs wells separated by Al_0.25Ga_0.75As barriers of the same width. A blue shift associated with the Wannier–Stark localization of heavy holes states is observed for the first time, followed by a second blue shift at higher electric fields due to the electron localization. This is contrary to the widely reported single blue shift of the order of (e+hh)/2, where e and hh are the electron and heavy hole miniband widths respectively, produced by Wannier–Stark localization in superlattices.     

Development of the Design of Super-Multiperiod Structures Grown by Molecular-Beam Epitaxy and Emitting in the Terahertz Range

Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics - A design of terahertz (THz) radiation source has been developed based on an AlGaAs/GaAs superlattice grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. The gain and...     

Intraband dynamics and terahertz emission in biased semiconductor superlattices coupled to double far-infrared pulses

This paper studies both the intraband polarization and terahertz emission of a semiconductor superlattice in combined dc and ac electric fields by using the superposition of two identical time delayed and phase shifted optical pulses. By adjusting the delay between these two optical pulses, our results show that the intraband polarization is sensitive to the time delay. The peak values appear again for the terahertz emission intensity due to the superposition of two optical pulses. The emission lines of terahertz blueshift and redshift in different ac electric fields and dynamic localization appears. The emission lines of THz only appear to blueshift when the biased superlattice is driven by a single optical pulse. Due to excitonic dynamic localization, the terahertz emission intensity decays with time in different dc and ac electric fields. These are features of this superlattice which distinguish it from a superlattice generated by a single optical pulse to drive it.     

半导体超晶格声子激光器的研究进展

太赫兹频率的相干声子在纳米尺度器件的探测和操控领域具有重要的应用价值。半导体超晶格声子激光器是实现太赫兹频率相干声子源稳定输出的重要途径。本文首先回顾了GHz到THz频率范围声学放大的多种方法,然后详细阐述了超晶格声子放大、超晶格声学布拉格镜的工作原理与设计方法以及声子激光器的阈值条件,同时总结了电抽运和光抽运结构器件的研究现状,最后简要讨论了亚太赫兹声子激光器在声-电子领域的应用。分析表明,这种能够产生强相干太赫兹声子的半导体超晶格声子激光器在纳米尺度器件的探测与成像等方面具有广阔的发展前景。     

Balance equations for electron transport in an arbitrary energy band driven by an intense terahertz field. Application to superlattice miniband transport

We suggest a balance-equation approach to hot-electron transport in a single arbitrary energy band subject to an intense radiation field of terahertz (THz) frequency, including all the multiphoton emission and absorption processes and taking account of realistic scatterings due to impurities and phonons. This approach, which allows one to calculate THz-driving, time-averaging transport based on a set of time-independent equations, provides a convenient method to study the effect of an intense THz electric field on carrier transport in a nonparabolic energy band. As an example, these fully three-dimensional, acceleration- and energy-balance equations are applied to the discussion of superlattice miniband transport at lattice temperature T=77 and 300 K driven by the THz radiation field of varying strengths. It is shown that the current through a dc biased miniband superlattice is greatly reduced by the irradiation of an intense THz electric field. Received: 23 January 1998 / Revised: 31 March 1998 / Accepted: 20 April 1998     

Terahertz Radiation from a Longitudinal Electric Field Biased Femtosecond Filament in Air

The terahertz(THz) temporal waveform and spectrum from a longitudinal electrically biased femtosecond filament is studied experimentally. The initial direction of the electron motion inside the unbiased filament plasma is deduced from the transformation of the THz temporal waveform with applied fields of opposite polarities.Furthermore, a spectrum shift to lower frequency of the THz spectrum is observed in the presence of a biased field. It agrees well with theoretical predictions.     

Nonlinear Optical Processes in Doped Semiconductor Superlattices

For doped semiconductor superlattices we have analyzed the effects of absorption saturation and change in the refractive index depending on the level of their excitation and structure parameters. The calculations were carried out with account for the tails of the density of states and screening of the electrostatic potential. It is shown that doped superlattices may display shading, i.e., the increase in the absorption coefficient at a fixed frequency with increase in light intensity. For –doped superlattices a stronger nonmonotonicity of the change in the refractive index with increase in the excitation level in comparison with typical structures can manifest itself.