Raman spectroscopy of resonance exciton tunneling in GaAs/AlAs superlattices in electric fields

Optical-resonance-Raman scattering by acoustic phonons is used to study the effect of an electric field on the state of excitons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices. When the energy of the exciting photon coincides with the energy of an exciton bound to Wannier-Stark states of a heavy hole and electron with Δn=0,±1, the acoustic Raman scattering is enhanced. Oscillations in the intensity of the Raman spectrum in the electric field are explained by resonance delocalization of the exciton ground state as it interacts with Wannier-Stark states of neighboring quantum wells or with Wannier-Stark states of a higher electron miniband. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 827–829 (May 1998)     

Polarization of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The polarization characteristics of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the formation of an electronic miniband in the superlattice substantially changes the polarization characteristics of the photoluminescence. As a result of the quasi-three-dimensional character of the motion of hot electrons in the superlattice, the polarization depends on the ratio of the electron kinetic energies in the plane of the superlattice and along the axis of the superlattice. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 4, 285–289 (25 February 1996)     

Franz–Keldysh oscillations at the miniband edge in a GaAs/AlxGa1 −xAs superlattice

We have systematically measured the electroreflectance spectra of a GaAs (7.0 nm)/Al_0.1Ga_0.9As (3.5 nm) superlattice at various electric fields to investigate Franz–Keldysh (FK) oscillations. In the low-field regime, we clearly observe the FK oscillations toward the low-energy side of theM₁critical point (mini-Brillouin-zone edge). As the electric field is increased, the direction of the FK oscillations is reversed, then the oscillations disappear. The change of the oscillation direction correlates with the transformation of the electronic structures from the miniband to the Stark-ladder states in the Wannier-Stark localization. We discuss these experimental results on the basis of a theory of the FK oscillations and envelope-function forms calculated by a transfer matrix method with Airy functions.     

Ultrafast creation and annihilation of space-charge domains in a semiconductor superlattice observed by use of Terahertz fields

We report an experimental study indicating ultrafast creation and annihilation of space-charge domains in a semiconductor superlattice under the action of a THz field. Our experiment was performed for an InGaAs/InAlAs superlattice with the conduction electrons undergoing miniband transport. We applied to a superlattice a dc bias that was slightly smaller than a critical bias necessary for the formation of space-charge domains caused by a static negative differential conductivity. Additionally subjecting the superlattice to a strong THz field, resulted in a dc transport governed by the formation of domains if the frequency of the field was smaller than an upper frequency limit (~3 THz). From this frequency limit for the creation and annihilation of domains we determined the characteristic time of the domain buildup. Our analysis shows that the buildup time of domains in a wide miniband and heavily doped superlattice is limited by the relaxation time due to scattering of the miniband electrons at polar optic phonons. Our results are of importance for both an understanding of ultrafast dynamics of pattern formation in nanostructures and the development of THz electronic devices.Received: 25 March 2004, Published online: 23 July 2004PACS: 72.20.Ht High-field and nonlinear effects - 72.30. + q High-frequency effects; plasma effects - 73.21.Cd SuperlatticesK.N. Alekseev: Permanent address: Department of Physical Sciences, P.O. Box 3000, University of Oulu FIN-90014, Finland.     

Determination of the roughness of heteroboundaries from photocurrent spectra of short-period AlAs/GaAs superlattices

Photocurrent spectroscopy is used to study the nature of the roughness of heteroboundaries in (AlAs)_m/(GaAs)_n short-period superlattices (m=3−5, n=10−13) grown by molecularbeam epitaxy. The formation of minibands broadens the optical spectra of superlattices in comparison with isolated quantum wells; therefore to analyze the degree of perfection of the boundaries we used the decay of the minibands into a series of discrete Wannier-Stark levels in an electric field parallel to the superlattice axis. Exciton lines were observed in the photocurrent spectra in an electric field corresponding to direct and indirect (in space) transitions between the Wannier-Stark levels. Comparison of experimental data with calculation indicates that even in the better structures, in addition to monotonic variation of the thickness of the layers over area, roughnesses in the heteroboundaries one monolayer in height are present with characteristic lateral dimension not exceeding 10 nm. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 2085–2089 (November 1997)     

Energy spectrum and effective mass of carriers in the InSe/GaSe superlattice

Within an effective mass approximation the energy spectrum and mass of carriers in the InSe/GaSe superlattice have been calculated. The superlattice belongs to type II: electrons are primarily confined to the InSe layers whereas the holes are mosfly confined to the GaSe layers. The characteristic feature of electronic structure of the superlattice is the existence of minibands of light carriers at the θ point of the Brillouin zone and minibands of heavy carriers at theM point. The dependence of the miniband structure on thickness of layers has been computed. It is shown that the minibands of light and heavy carriers compete with one another in energy. A general conclusion is made concerning the influence of the competition between the minibands on optic and kinetic properties of the superlattice.     

Electron-confined LO-phonon scattering in GaAs-Al0.45Ga0.55As superlattice

We develop a theoretical model to the scattering time due to the electron-confined LO-phonon in GaAs-Al_xGa_1-xAs superlattice taking into account the sub-band parabolicity. Using the new analytic wave function of electron miniband conduction of superlattice and a reformulation slab model for the confined LO-phonon modes, an expression for the electron-confined LO-phonon scattering time is obtained. In solving numerically a partial differential equation for the phonon generation rate, our results show that forx = 0.45, the LO-phonon in superlattice changes from a bulk-like propagating mode to a confined mode. The dispersion of the relaxation time due to the emission of confined LO-phonons depends strongly on the total energy.     

Effect of Miniband Dispersion on Inelastic Scattering of Superlattice Electrons by Acoustic Phonons

Within the framework of the Boltzmann equation, formulas for calculating the effective relaxation time and mobility of superlattice electrons are derived with allowance for inelastic scattering on acoustic phonons and dispersion of the miniband energy spectrum depending on the longitudinal wave vector. The dependences of longitudinal and transverse mobilities of the nondegenerate electronic gas of the GaAs/Al_0.36Ga_0.64As superlattice with the quantum well 5 nm wide on the potential barrier width and temperature are analyzed numerically. It is demonstrated that inelasticity of scattering and miniband dispersion significantly increase the electron mobility, and its temperature dependence becomes more pronounced at low temperatures.     

Influence of the Miniband Width on the Relaxation Time of Superlattice Electrons Scattered by Impurity Ions

Based on the Boltzmann equation, the influence of the miniband width on the relaxation time of nondegenerate electrons scattered by impurity ions in the GaAs/Al _x Ga_1–x As superlattice with doped quantum wells is numerically analyzed. The wave function being the eigenfunction of the ground state of the lower miniband of the superlattice is used to calculate the scattering probability. The dispersion of the longitudinal and transverse relaxation times versus the longitudinal wave vector is investigated.     

Effect of conduction electrons on the law of approach to saturation of a metallic ferromagnet with surface pinning of the magnetic moment

The effect of conduction electrons on the magnetization curve of a metallic ferromagnet with surface pinning of the magnetic moment is investigated theoretically. The electronic contribution is due to the rearrangement of the discrete spectrum of charge carriers trapped by the nonuniform magnetic induction of such a ferromagnet, and it is a kind of diamagnetic effect that appreciably decreases the volume-averaged magnetization of the ferromagnet. A powerlaw dependence H ^−3/4 on the external magnetic field H is obtained according to the law of magnetization approach to saturation. This dependence is due to the contribution of the conduction electrons. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 647–653 (April 1999)     

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.     

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     

New Wannier-Stark localization effects in natural 6H-SiC superlattice

A premature electric breakdown caused by the formation of a strong-field domain under conditions of negative differential conductivity in the 6H-SiC n⁺-n^?-n⁺ structure optimized for ultrahigh-frequency measurements was observed in the range of electric fields corresponding to the Bloch oscillation regime in a natural 6H-SiC superlattice. The experimental results and ensuing estimates indicate that this domain is mobile and, hence, oscillating, allowing the microwave oscillations that are rapidly damped under conditions of avalanche break-down in a natural 6H-SiC superlattice to be forecasted. Crystal perfectness of a natural 6H-SiC superlattice made it possible to directly observe the Wannier-Stark localization up to electric breakdown, i.e., during the natural crystal lifetime. This was accomplished by the optical photoelectric transformation method in the multiplication regime for a photocurrent created by photons with above-bandgap energy. It was shown that the Wannier-Stark localization, which involves only electrons, occurs in natural 6H-SiC superlattice up to fields that are almost equal to the breakdown field in 6H-SiC, unresponsively to band mixing, i.e., to the fundamental destroyer of the Wannier-Stark localization.     

Features of the resonant interaction of moving neutral atoms and clusters with superlattice surface

Features of the interaction of moving neutral atoms, molecules, and clusters with a superlattice field (for example, the system of linear magnetic and electric domains) are considered. It is shown that the character of the particle motion depends on the ratio of the frequency ω₂₁ of the internal electromagnetic resonance to the bounce frequency Ω _s determined by the superlattice period, the velocity of the particle motion, and the possible moments of the particle in the ground d ₁₁ and excited d ₂₂ states. The conditions for regimes of attraction and repulsion of particles by the superlattice are considered. The preconditions for formation of a one-dimensional potential well located far from the superlattice and for stable channeling of neutral and charged particles in this well are also considered. Depending on the ratio of ω₂₁ to Ω _s , particle sorting and beam separation occur during interaction of the multicomponent beam consisting of different particles with the superlattice field.     

Resonant Mandelstam-Brillouin light scattering and Raman scattering in semiconductors with intermediate exciton states belonging to discrete exciton bands and the continuous spectrum

The results of a theoretical and experimental investigation of resonant Mandelstam-Brillouin light scattering by thermal acoustic phonons with k=0 near the direct absorption edge (in the case of ZnSe crystals) are analyzed. The appearance of a new type of resonant increase in the intensity of Raman scattering by optical phonons with k≠0, which corresponds to resonance with the scattered light in the output channel, near the indirect absorption edge (in the case of semi-insulating GaP:N crystals) is also reported. The resonant gain reaches ∼4×10³ at frequencies corresponding to overtone scattering assisted by LO(X) and LO(L) phonons. Exciton states belonging to both discrete exciton bands and to the continuous spectrum are considered as the intermediate states involved in the scattering processes in calculations of the resonant scattering tensors. In addition, all the intraband transitions, as well as the interband transitions between the conduction band, the valence bands, and the spin-orbit split-off band are taken into account, and good agreement with the experimental results is obtained. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 938–940 (May 1998)     

Crystal structure and electronic spectrum of SnS2

It is shown that layered metal dichalcogenides are quasi-one-dimensional molecular crystals and form a new class of crystal structures — molecular close packed. Since the minimum structural unit in these crystals is a monomolecular layer, using the symbols employed in atomic close packing to describe them gives a mistaken representation of their structure and symmetry. A new system of notation is proposed which provides complete and exact information about the ordering of the atomic layers in different polytype modifications and about their symmetries. It is found that in molecular close packing and, especially, in tin disulfide, there is not one (as in atomic close packing), but two, simplest structures, 1T and 1H, containing one molecule each in a unit cell and, therefore, two series of superlattices constructed on their basis. An energy model is constructed for the natural superlattice in tin disulfide crystals and the electronic spectra of the 2H, 4H, and 9R polytype modifications are calculated in the Kronig-Penney approximation with rectangular potential barriers as superstructure perturbations of the simplest structures. These results make it possible to explain the observed complicated dependence of the band gaps of these crystals on polytype structure. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1712–1718 (September 1998)     

Intervalley electron scattering by phonons in (AlAs)1(GaAs)3(001) superlattices

Intervalley electron scattering by phonons in (AlAs)₁(GaAs)₃(001) superlattices is studied using the pseudopotential method and a phenomenological model of the bonding forces. The deformation potentials between the conduction band extrema of the superlattice involving short-and long-wavelength phonons are calculated. It is shown that the mixing of states from the zinc-blende L valleys plays a greater role in intervalley scattering in a superlattice than the Γ-X mixing. In particular, due to L-L mixing, the Γ-X ₃ transitions, analogous to Γ-L transitions in zinc blende, have higher intensities than the analogues of Γ-X transitions (Γ₁-M ₅ and (Γ₁-Γ₃ transitions). The deformation potentials averaged over the scattering channels in the superlattice agree with the corresponding potentials in a solid solution, but all transitions in the superlattice have higher intensities for the lower states.     

Direct and spatially indirect excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices in strong magnetic fields

Luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra are used to study the energy spectrum and binding energies of direct and spatially indirect excitons in GaAs/AlaAs superlattices, with different widths of the electron and hole minibands, located in a high magnetic field perpendicular to the heterolayers. It is found that the ground state of the indirect excitons formed by electrons and holes and spatially separated between neighboring quantum wells lies between the ls ground state of the direct excitons and the continuum threshold for dissociated exciton states in the minibands. Indirect excitons in superlattices have a significant oscillator strength when the binding energy of the exciton exceeds the order of the width of the resulting miniband. The behavior of the binding energy of direct and indirect heavy hole excitons during changes in the tunneling coupling between the quantum wells is established. It is shown that a strong magnetic field, which intensifies the Coulomb interaction between the electron and hole in an exciton, weakens the bond in a system of symmetrically bound quantum wells. The spatially indirect excitons studied here are analogous to first order Wannier-Stark localized excitons in superlattices with inclined bands (when an electrical bias is applied), but in the present case the localization is of purely Coulomb origin. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1106–1118 (September 1997)     

Dynamic localization and self-induced transparency in a two-dimensional superlattice with a nonadditive dispersion law

Electron dynamics and the nonlinear effects of electric conduction in a two-dimensional semiconductor superlattice with nonadditive miniband dispersion relations have been studied in the case of strong high-frequency electric fields applied to the superlattice. The conditions for dynamic electron localization and electromagnetic transparency in such superlattices have been revealed.