Interaction of non-equilibrium phonons with electron-hole plasmas in germanium

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5482248

Kirch, S J

This thesis presents results of experiments on the interaction of phonons and photo-excited electron-hole plasmas in Ge at low temperature. The first two studies involved the low-temperature fluid phase known as the electron-hole liquid (EHL). The third study involved a wider range of temperatures and includes the higher temperature electron-hole plasma (EHP). In the first experiment, superconducting tunnel junctions are used to produce quasi-monochromatic phonons, which propagate through the EHL. The magnitude of the absorption of these non-equilibrium phonons gives a direct measure of the coupling constant, the deformation potential. In the second experiment, the nonequilibrium phonons are generated by laser excitation of a metal film. An unusual sample geometry allows examination of the EHL-phonon interaction near the EHL excitation surface. This coupling is examined for both cw and pulsed EHL excitation. In the third experiment, the phonons are byproducts of the photo-excited carrier thermalization. The spatial, spectral and temporal dependence of the recombination luminescence is examined. A phonon wind force is observed to dominate the transport properties of the EHL and the EHP. These carriers are never observed to move faster than the phonon velocity even during the laser pulse.

• Research Organization: Illinois Univ., Urbana (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5482248
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

656001* -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Solid-State Plasma
656100 -- Condensed Matter Physics-- Superconductivity
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CARRIER MOBILITY
ELECTRON-HOLE DROPLETS
INTERACTIONS
JUNCTIONS
MOBILITY
PHONONS
PLASMA
QUASI PARTICLES
SOLID-STATE PLASMA
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TUNNEL EFFECT