Photogalvanic current in a double quantum well

A double quantum well affected by external alternating electric field with in- and out-of-plane components is studied. This field causes transitions between near-degenerate states located in different wells. The phototransitions are accompanied by the in-plane momentum nonconservation caused by the impurity scattering. We study the in-plane stationary current due to the lack of the in-plane symmetry of these indirect phototransitions. It is shown that the value and direction of the current are determined by the polarization of light. The linear and circular photogalvanic coefficients are found. When the photon energy approaches the distance between subbands these coefficients have their symmetric and antisymmetric resonance behaviors, respectively.