Measurement of the hot-electron conductivity in semiconductors using ultrafast electric pulses

Semiconductor response to ultrafast electric pulses was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. The possibilities for hot-electron drift velocity estimation from a pulsed electric conductivity measurement were analysed. An optoelectronic arrangement with time resolution of 20 ps was used to perform such measurements on then-InSb andn-InAs single crystals. Negative differential mobility (n.d.m.) was observed in both semiconductors at high electric fields.     

Impact of intramolecular twisting and exciton migration on emission efficiency of multifunctional fluorene-benzothiadiazole-carbazole compounds

Novel donor-acceptor compounds consisting of singly bonded fluorene (Fl), benzothiadiazole (BT), and carbazole (Cz) functional units in the same molecule were investigated. Analysis of the optical spectra and fluorescence transients of the compounds revealed the domination of intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states with high fluorescence quantum yield (72%-85%). A similar Cz-Fl-Cz compound exhibiting 100% fluorescence quantum yield and no ICT character was also studied as a reference to reveal the impact of electron-accepting BT groups. Thorough examination of the optical properties of the compounds in different media, i.e., dilute solution and polymer matrix, indicated their twisted conformations due to steric hindrance in the ground state and flattened geometry in the excited state for both reference and ICT compounds. Remarkable fluorescence efficiency losses (amounting to 70%) observed upon casting the molecular solutions into neat films were determined to originate from the low-fluorescent twisted conformers and migration-facilitated exciton quenching. The majority of emission efficiency losses (over 70%) were caused by the twisted conformers, whereas only less than 30% by exciton-migration-induced nonradiative deactivation.     

Terahertz pulse emission from semiconductor surfaces illuminated by femtosecond Yb:KGW laser pulses

The amplitudes of terahertz pulses emitted from the surfaces of InAs, InSb, InGaAs, GaAs and Ge after their excitation by femtosecond 1 μm laser pulses was compared. It has been found that this effect is most efficient in p-type InAs. The mechanisms leading to the terahertz emission are investigated and discussed. It has been concluded that in the majority of the investigated semiconductors the main contribution to THz pulse emission comes from the electrical-field-induced optical rectification effect.     

THz photomixer with milled nanoelectrodes on LT-GaAs

A terahertz (THz) photomixer: (i) a meander type antenna with integrated nanoelectrodes on (ii) a low temperature grown GaAs has been fabricated and characterized. It was designed for spectral range of 0.3–0.4 THz where molecular fingerprinting and sensing are performed. By combination of electron beam lithography with post-processing using focused ion beam (FIB), milling the THz emitter was successfully fabricated. Nanogaps as small as 40 nm width in the active area of photomixer were milled by FIB. Nanocontacts enhance electric fields of the illuminated and THz radiation and contribute to a better collection of photo-electrons. THz emission was obtained and spectrally characterized.     

Light trapping effect in silicon wafers with anodically etched surfaces

Received: 10 May 1996/Accepted: 19 November 1996     

Picosecond optoelectronic characterization of diode lasers

New optoelectronic techniques for measuring semiconductor laser turn-on delay times and jitter with a picosecond temporal resolution are proposed and were employed for both conventional, homogeneous cavity and ion-bombarded picosecond diode laser characterization. Distinct differences in the characteristics of those lasers were found.     

Time-resolved,hot-electron conductivity measurement using an electro-optic sampling technique

A picosecond electro-optical sampling technique has, for the first time, been used for measuring the high-electrical-field instabilities in a semiconductor. Current-voltage-characteristics and the high-field domain nucleation time for n-type In_0.53 Ga_0.47 As samples have been measured with a time resolution better than 10 ps and compared with existing theoretical calculations.     

Simulations and experiments of mode-locking of semiconductor lasers: pulse evolution,frequency detuning,and bias dependence

Simulations of a mode-locked diode laser based on a travelling-wave rate-equation model have been compared with experiments. The pulse measurement technique involved a conventional intensity autocorrelator together with an internally generated second-harmonic emission measurement set-up. The latter is ideal for systematic relative measurements. For the first time, pulse evolution as a function of the number of round-trips was measured. Short optical pulses were obtained after approximately 40 round-trips. The experimental and simulated detuning range was about 1 MHz and the d.c. bias dependence was investigated.On leave from Physics Institute of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, 232 600 Vilnius, Lithuania.     

Hole initiated impact ionization in indium antimonide

The impact ionization in p-type indium antimonide at 77 K was investigated both experimentally and theoretically. The dc pulse measurements with the time resolution of 50 ps and the high-field Hall measurements produced clear evidence that the impact ionization inp-InSb is initiated by equilibrium holes. The calculated hole generation rate gives good agreement with the experimental results.     

On the origin of the hot-electron instabilities inn-InSb at crossed electric and magnetic fields

Coherent current oscillations with frequencies of several hundreds of megahertz and microwave generation at frequencies up to 40 GHz were investigated in then-InSb samples subjected to crossed electric and magnetic fields. They are shown as being caused by electric field redistribution and negative differential mobility in high-field regions.