Drag effects in a two-layer system of spatially separated electrons and excitons

We discuss drag effects in a two-layer system of spatially separated electrons and excitons: the entrainment of excitons by moving electrons, and the entrainment of electrons by moving excitons. For the case of excitons entrained by electrons we find the drag velocity υ _drag, and for electrons entrained by excitons we compute the induced electric field E ₂. These drag effects can be sensitive indicators of the phase state of the excitons and of phase transitions in the exciton system (to a liquid phase, superfluid state, etc.) Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 111, 1107–1119 (March 1997)     

Features of the optical absorption of crystals of the fullerene C60 in the region of the orientational phase transition

The absorption coefficient of perfect single crystals of the fullerene C₆₀ is measured in the energy range 1.6–2.1 eV at temperatures from 4.2 to 300 K. An absorption fine structure is discovered in the and is assigned to electronic and vibronic transitions with the production of free excitons and excitons localized on structural defects. It is shown that in the region of the structural phase transition from a face-centered cubic structure to a simple cubic structure the absorption coefficient undergoes a jump, which is associated with an energy shift of the free exciton line toward lower energies. It is discovered that spatial inhomogeneity, which is associated with the growth of the new phase from a finite number of nuclei, appears in the crystal at the time of this transition. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 2211–2224 (December 1998)     

Superfluidity of indirect biexcitons in superlattices

Instability in a system of interacting quasi-two-dimensional excitons in a type II superlattice of a finite thickness due to attraction between oppositely-directed excitonic dipoles in neighboring layers has been discovered. A stable system is that of indirect quasi-two-dimensional biexcitons formed by indirect excitons with dipole moments oriented in opposite directions. The radius and binding energy of indirect biexcitons has been calculated. A collective spectrum of a system of such biexcitons with a weak quadrupole interaction between them has been studied. Feasibility of Bose condensation, the density n _s(T) of the superfluid component, and a phase transition to the superfliud state in a low-density system of indirect biexcitons have been analyzed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 1786–1798 (May 1999)     

Large momenta fluctuations of charm quarks in the Quark-Gluon Plasma<Superscript>⋆</Superscript>

We show that large fluctuations of D-mesons kinetic-energy (or momentum) distributions might be a signature of a phase transition to the Quark-Gluon Plasma (QGP). In particular, a jump in the variance of the momenta or kinetic energy, as a function of a control parameter (temperature or Fermi energy at finite baryon densities) might be a signature for a first-order phase transition to the QGP. This behavior is completely consistent with the order parameter defined for a system of interacting quarks both at zero temperature (and finite baryon densities) or at finite temperatures which shows a jump in correspondence with a first-order phase transition to the QGP. The J/Ψ displays exactly the same behavior of the order parameter and of the variance of the D-mesons. We discuss implications for relativistic heavy-ion collisions within the framework of a transport model and possible hints for experimental search.     

Exciton-electron interaction in quantum wells with a two dimensional electron gas of low density

II–VI quantum-well structures containing a 2DEG of low density have been investigated by means of polarized photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation and reflectivity in external magnetic fields up to 20 T. The spin splittings of the exciton X and the negatively charged exciton X ⁻ are measured as a function of the magnetic field strength. The behavior of the magnetic-field-induced polarization degree of the luminescence line related to X ⁻ demonstrates the formation process of negatively charged excitons from excitons and free carriers polarized by the external magnetic field. We have determined the binding energies of the trion formed either with the heavy-hole or the light-hole exciton. The optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique was applied for the first time to study the optical transition processes in a nanosecond timescale. The electron ODMR was observed with the detection on either the direct exciton or the negatively charged exciton X. Further evidence for the interaction of excitons with the electrons of the two-dimensional gas are demonstrated by a combined exciton-cyclotron resonance line observed in reflectivity and luminescence excitation, shake-up processes observed in photoluminescence, as well as inelastic and spin-dependent scattering processes. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 831–836 (May 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Tempering simulations in the four dimensional ±J Ising spin glass in a magnetic field

We study the four dimensional (4D) ±J Ising spin glass in a magnetic field with the simulated tempering algorithm recently introduced by Marinari and Parisi. We compute numerically the order parameter function P(q) and analyze the temperature dependence of the first four cumulants of the distribution. We discuss the evidence in favor of the existence of a phase transition in a field. Assuming a well defined transition we are able to bound its critical temperature.     

Self-consistent calculations of exciton, biexciton and charged exciton energies in InGaN/GaN quantum dots

We present theoretical calculations of the variation of exciton energies in truncated conical InGaN quantum dots (QDs) in a GaN matrix with dot size and indium composition. We compute the built-in strain-induced and spontaneous piezoelectric fields using a surface integral method that we have recently derived, and confirm that the built-in fields can be of the order of a few MV/cm, resulting in a spatial separation of the electrons and holes. The ground state wavefunctions of the exciton (X⁰), biexciton (2X⁰) and the two charged excitons (X⁻ and X⁺) are then calculated in the Hartree approximation, using a self-consistent finite difference method. We find that the electron–hole recombination energy is always blue-shifted for the charged excitons X⁻ and X⁺, with a further blue-shift for the biexciton, and this blue-shift increases with increasing indium content. We describe the trends in interband transition energy and the scale of the blue-shift with dot size, shape and composition. We conclude that spectroscopic studies of the exciton, charged excitons and biexciton should provide a useful probe of the structural and piezoelectric properties of GaN-based QDs.     

Selective laser spectroscopy of localized excitons in GaSe-GaTe solid solutions in a magnetic field

The Zeeman effect in the emission spectra of localized excitons in semiconductor solid solutions has been studied by selective laser spectroscopy. It was shown that the fine structure appearing in the emission spectra of GaSe_1−x Te_x crystals under resonant monochromatic excitation in a magnetic field originates from spin relaxation of the light-induced localized excitons between their Zeeman sublevels. The localized-exciton g factor and its dependence on the energy of localized-exciton formation and solid-solution composition has been measured. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1389–1393 (August 1999)     

Can freestanding Xene monolayers behave as excitonic insulators?

We predict that a phase transition in freestanding monolayer Xenes from the semiconducting phase to the excitonic insulating (EI) phase can be induced by reducing an external electric field below some critical value which is unique to each material. The splitting of the conduction and valence bands due to spin–orbit coupling at non-zero electric fields leads to the formation of A and B excitons in the larger or smaller band gap, with correspondingly larger or smaller binding energies. Our calculations show the coexistence of the semiconducting phase of A excitons with the EI phase of B excitons for a particular range of electric field. The dielectric environment precludes the existence of the EI phase in supported or encapsulated monolayer Xenes.     

Exciton molecules and exciton liquids in semiconductors

Excitons in many-valley semiconductors form molecules consisting of four and more excitons. The degeneracy factor g of the conduction band in germanium is 8, and in silicon g=12. As in acceptors, the hole ground state in excitons is fourfold degenerate. The same is valid for exciton molecules, because they are quantum objects with spherical symmetry. The exciton binding energy in molecules is close to that in exciton-liquid droplets. Experimental evidence is considered for the existence, besides biexcitons, of stable exciton molecules consisting of three and four, and, possibly, 11 and 12 excitons. Molecules containing from five to ten excitons are apparently unstable. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 929–931 (May 1998)     

Excitonic light-absorption and amplification bands in the presence of laser radiation

We examine the absorption and amplification bands of a weak probe signal in the presence of Bose-Einstein condensation of excitons that emerges in nonequilibrium conditions in the field of coherent laser radiation with a wave vector k ₀. We assume that the detuning from resonance between the energy ħω _ex (k ₀)+L ₀ of the exciton level, which is shifted because of exciton-exciton interaction, and the laser photon energy ħω _L , is generally nonzero. The elementary excitation spectrum consisting of the quasiexcitonic and quasienergy branches determines the optical properties of the system. When there is real induced Bose-Einstein condensation, at the two branches touch, as they do in spontaneous Bose-Einstein condensation. In virtual induced Bose-Einstein condensation, when , instabilities emerge in the spectrum in certain regions of the k-space. These instabilities are caused by a real transformation of two laser photons into two extracondensate particles. Nonequilibrium extracondensate excitons strongly affect the absorption and amplification of the probe light signal. We show that light absorption is due to the quantum transition from the ground state of the crystal to the quasiexcitonic branch of the spectrum. On the other hand, amplification of the signal is caused by the transition from the quasienergy branch to the ground state of the crystal. The same transition can be explained by a real transformation of two laser photons into a vacuum photon of frequency ħcq and a crystal exciton with a wave vector 2k ₀−q. Finally, we show that the excitonic absorption and light-amplification bands are essentially anisotropic at and depend on the orientation of the vectors q and k ₀. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 167–179 (July 1997)     

Interaction between the exciton and nuclear spin systems in a self-organized ensemble of InP/InGaP size-quantized islands

Magnetic interaction between spin-polarized nuclei and optically oriented excitons in a self-organized ensemble of size-quantized InP islands in an InGaP matrix has been studied in a magnetic field in Faraday geometry. The effective magnetic fields generated by polarized nuclei at excitons have been measured. The strengths of these fields were found to be different for active and inactive excitons because of the difference between the excitonic g factors. The heavy-hole g factor has been determined. The active and inactive excitonic states were found to be coupled through cross-relaxation. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 2193–2199 (December 1999)     

Kinetic properties of a system of spatially separated excitons and electrons in the presence of a Bose condensate of excitons

A system of interacting, spatially separated excitons and electrons is examined in the presence of a Bose condensate of excitons. The kinetic properties of the system that are governed by the interaction of excitations in the exciton subsystem with electrons are investigated. It is shown that a nonequilibrium distribution of excitations in the exciton subsystem gives rise to an induced electron current. Experimental observation of the kinetic phenomena described can provide new information on the exciton phase state. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 1440–1449 (October 1999)     

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/AlGaAs superlattices having different electron and hole miniband widths in high magnetic fields perpendicular to the heterolayers. The ground state of the indirect excitons formed by electrons and holes which are spatially distributed among neighboring quantum wells is found to lie between the ground 1s state of the direct excitons and the threshold of the continuum of dissociated exciton states in the minibands. The indirect excitons have a substantial oscillator strength when the binding energy of the exciton exceeds the scale of the width of the resulting miniband. It is shown that a high magnetic field shifts a system of symmetrically bound quantum wells toward weaker bonding. At high exciton concentrations, spatially indirect excitons are converted into direct excitons through exciton-exciton collisions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 833–836 (May 1998)     

Effect of the anticrossing of excitonic states on their phase relaxation time in a GaAs/AlGaAs symmetric double quantum well

The change in the properties of excitonic states near anticrossing is investigated experimentally. It is shown that the phase relaxation time of light excitons in a GaAs/AlGaAs symmetric double quantum well increases by a factor of five as a result of mixing of the energy states of light and heavy excitons. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 6, 426–430 (25 March 1999)     

Riccion from higher-dimensional space-time with D-dimensional sphere as a compact manifold and one-loop renormalization

Lagrangian density of riccions is obtained with the quartic self-interacting potential using higher-derivative gravitational action in (4 +D)-dimensional space-time withS ^D as a compact manifold. It is found that the resulting four-dimensional theory for riccions is one-loop multiplicatively renormalizable. Renormalization group equations are solved and its solutions yield many interesting results such as (i) dependence of extra dimensions on the enegy mass scale showing that these dimensions increase with the increasing mass scale up toD = 6, (ii) phase transition at 3.05 × 10¹⁶ GeV and (iii) dependence of gravitational and other coupling constants on energy scale. Results also suggest that space-time above 3.05 × 10¹⁶ GeV should be fractal. Moreover, dimension of the compact manifold decreases with the decreasing energy mass scale such thatD = 1 at the scale of the phase transition. Results imply invisiblity of S¹ at this scale (which is 3.05 × 10¹⁶ GeV).     

Nonlinear time-independent and time-dependent propagation of light in direct-gap semiconductors with paired excitons bound into biexcitons

We study a new class of nonlinear cooperative phenomena that occur when light propagates in direct-gap semiconductors. The nonlinearity here is due to a process, first discussed by A. L. Ivanov, L. V. Keldysh, and V. V. Panashchenko, in which two excitons are bound into a biexciton by virtue of their Coulomb interaction. For the geometry of a ring cavity, we derive a system of nonlinear differential equations describing the dynamical evolution of coherent excitons, photons, and biexcitons. For the time-independent case we arrive at the equation of state of optical bistability theory, and this equation is found to differ considerably from the equations of state in the two-level atom model and in the exciton region of the spectrum. We examine the stability of the steady states and determine the switchover times between the optical bistability branches. We also show that in the unstable sections of the equation of state, nonlinear periodic and chaotic self-pulsations may arise, with limit cycles and strange attractors being created in the phase space of the system. The scenario for the transition to the dynamical chaos mode is found. A computer experiment is used to study the dynamic optical bistability. Finally, we discuss the possibility of detecting these phenomena in experiments. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1778–1790 (November 1997)     

Magnetic ordering and phase transitions in planar antiferromagnetic systems with a Kagomé lattice

We study the process of magnetic ordering in planar antiferromagnetic systems with a Kagomé lattice. It is found that if the interaction between next-nearest-neighbor spins is taken into account, the heat capacity of such systems has a singularity at a finite temperature T. On the basis of a scaling analysis of finite-size systems we study the behavior of thermodynamic quantities in the neighborhood of a phase transition. We find that the phase transition at the critical point is due to discrete-and continuous-symmetry breaking, in which the long-range chiral order and the power-law translational spin order emerge simultaneously. Finally, we calculate the temperatures of the transition to different (with three and nine spins per unit cell) ordered states. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 113, 2209–2220 (June 1998)     

Exciton-plasma transition in GaAs

In this work, we study the stability of excitons at high density, i.e. we calculate the reduction of the exciton binding energy due to exciton-exciton interactions in a high-density exciton gas. We derive first the effective electron-hole interaction in the presence of free carriers and excitons. We use the static approximation. The exciton binding energy is calculated by the variational technique. The computations are specialized to GaAs. We investigate the critical density when the exciton binding disappears, which corresponds to the exciton plasma transition. We conclude that this transition occurs at higher density than the reverse plasma exciton transition, determined by the standard criteria a₀q_D =1.19 [Rogers F. J., Graboske H. C., Jr. and Harword D. J., Phys. Rev.A1, 1577 (1970)].