Determination of the energy relaxation time in GaSb from microwave harmonic mixing and transport phenomena

The energy relaxation time τ_? of GaSb has been determined independently from microwave harmonic mixing experiments in the range of 160–200 K and from the current-voltage characteristics at 300 and 77 K. From measurements of the i.r. Faraday effect at 300 K valley populations as a function of the electric field strength are obtained which are in agreement with values calculated with help of the energy relaxation time obtained by methods mentioned before. For the evaluation of the data a two-band model has been used. The results obtained from the microwave experiments are extrapolated to 300 and 77 K assuming polar optical mode scattering. Good agreement of these values and the results obtained from the current-voltage characteristics and the Faraday measurements was found. The values for 300 and 77 K are 4 × 10⁻¹² sec and approximately 1·6 × 10⁻¹¹ sec, respectively.