674 research outputs found
Fractional and unquantized dc voltage generation in THz-driven semiconductor superlattices
We consider the spontaneous creation of a dc voltage across a strongly
coupled semiconductor superlattice subjected to THz radiation. We show that the
dc voltage may be approximately proportional either to an integer or to a half-
integer multiple of the frequency of the applied ac field, depending on the
ratio of the characteristic scattering rates of conducting electrons. For the
case of an ac field frequency less than the characteristic scattering rates, we
demonstrate the generation of an unquantized dc voltage.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, RevTEX, EPSF. Revised version v3: corrected typo
Bloch Oscillation under a Bichromatic Laser: Quasi-Miniband Formation, Collapse, and Dynamical Delocalization and Localization
A novel DC and AC driving configuration is proposed for semiconductor
superlattices, in which the THz AC driving is provided by an intense
bichromatic cw laser. The two components of the laser, usually in the visible
light range, are near but not exactly resonant with interband Wannier-Stark
transitions, and their frequency difference equals the Wannier-Stark ladder
spacing. Multi-photon processes with the intermediate states in the conduction
(valence) band cause dynamical delocalization and localization of valence
(conduction) electrons, and the corresponding formation and collapse of the
quasi-minibands.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
Effect of ionization/recombination processes on the electrical interactions between positively charged particles in highly collisional plasmas
The effect of ionization and recombination processes on the electrical
interactions between a pair of small charged particles in highly collisional
plasmas is discussed. In particular, it is shown that these processes suppress
the long-range attraction between positively charged particles. The condition
corresponding to the vanishing of attraction is derived. The role of the effect
for conditions of existing experiments is estimated
Theoretical backgrounds of nonlinear THz spectroscopy of semiconductor superlattices
We consider terahertz absorption and gain in a single miniband of
semiconductor superlattice subject to a bichromatic electric field in the most
general case of commensurate frequencies of the probe and pump fields. Using an
exact solution of Boltzmann transport equation, we show that in the
small-signal limit the formulas for absorption always contain two distinct
terms related to the parametric and incoherent interactions of miniband
electrons with the alternating pump field. It provides a theoretical background
for a control of THz gain without switching to the negative differential
conductivity state. For pedagogical reasons we present derivations of formulas
in detail.Comment: 14 page
Terahertz Bloch oscillator with a modulated bias
Electrons performing Bloch oscillations in an energy band of a dc-biased
superlattice in the presence of weak dissipation can potentially generate THz
fields at room temperature. The realization of such Bloch oscillator is a
long-standing problem due to the instability of a homogeneous electric field in
conditions of negative differential conductivity. We establish the theoretical
feasibility of stable THz gain in a long superlattice device in which the bias
is quasistatically modulated by microwave fields. The modulation waveforms must
have at least two harmonics in their spectra.Comment: 5 page
Spontaneous DC Current Generation in a Resistively Shunted Semiconductor Superlattice Driven by a TeraHertz Field
We study a resistively shunted semiconductor superlattice subject to a
high-frequency electric field. Using a balance equation approach that
incorporates the influence of the electric circuit, we determine numerically a
range of amplitude and frequency of the ac field for which a dc bias and
current are generated spontaneously and show that this region is likely
accessible to current experiments. Our simulations reveal that the Bloch
frequency corresponding to the spontaneous dc bias is approximately an integer
multiple of the ac field frequency.Comment: 8 pages, Revtex, 3 Postscript figure
Suppressed absolute negative conductance and generation of high-frequency radiation in semiconductor superlattices
We show that space-charge instabilities (electric field domains) in
semiconductor superlattices are the attribute of absolute negative conductance
induced by small constant and large alternating electric fields. We propose the
efficient method for suppression of this destructive phenomenon in order to
obtain a generation at microwave and THz frequencies in devices operating at
room temperature. We theoretically proved that an unbiased superlattice with a
moderate doping subjected to a microwave pump field provides a strong gain at
third, fifth, seventh, etc. harmonics of the pump frequency in the conditions
of suppressed domains.Comment: 8 pages. Development of cond-mat/0503216 . Version 2: Final version,
erratum is include
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