Saturation of intervalence-band transitions in p-type semiconductors

Journal Article · Tue Apr 15 04:00:00 EST 1980 · Phys. Rev., B: Condens. Matter; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.21.3502· OSTI ID:5457219

James, R B; Smith, D L

We present a theory of the saturation of heavy-hole to light-hole band absorption in p-type semiconductors with the diamond or zinc-blende crystal structure by high-intensity light with a wavelength near 10 ..mu..m. The absorption coefficient is found to decrease with intensity in a manner closely approximated by an inhomogeneously broadened two-level model. For temperatures and hole concentrations where hole-phonon scattering dominates hole-impurity and hole-hole scattering, the saturation intensity is independent of the hole concentration. We calculate the saturation intensity as a function of excitation wavelength and temperature for p-Ge and p-GaAs. We find that the saturation intensity increases with photon energy and with temperature. The calculated results are compared with the available experimental data and good agreement is found.

• Research Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
• OSTI ID: 5457219
• Journal Information: Phys. Rev., B: Condens. Matter; (United States), Journal Name: Phys. Rev., B: Condens. Matter; (United States) Vol. 21:8; ISSN PRBMD
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
360603* -- Materials-- Properties
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
ELEMENTS
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
GERMANIUM
HOLES
INFRARED SPECTRA
MATERIALS
METALS
P-TYPE CONDUCTORS
PHONONS
PNICTIDES
QUASI PARTICLES
SATURATION
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SPECTRA
TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE