Quasihole lifetimes in electron gases and electron-hole plasmas in semiconductor quantum wells

Journal Article · Fri Mar 15 00:00:00 EST 1991 · Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.43.7091· OSTI ID:5776202

Lyo, S K ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185 (US)

The lifetime of a final-state quasihole (i.e., an empty state under the Fermi level created, for example, by interband optical transitions) due to inelastic-scattering processes is calculated as a function of the quasihole energy in {ital n}-type and {ital p}-type modulation-doped quantum wells as well as in electron-hole plasmas in undoped quantum wells. Carrier-carrier scattering and carrier--longitudinal-optical-phonon interactions are considered for the energy-relaxation processes. For carrier-carrier scattering, quasiholes are found to decay through single-particle excitations without plasmon emission at zero temperature. The dependences of the scattering lifetimes on the well width, carrier density, in-plane effective carrier mass, and temperature are studied. The effects of static and dynamic dielectric screening are compared. The relevance of these results to recent luminescence data in modulation-doped quantum wells and to recent thermalization data in hot plasmas in undoped quantum wells is discussed.

• OSTI ID: 5776202
• Journal Information: Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (USA), Vol. 43:9; ISSN 0163-1829
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
QUASI PARTICLES
ELECTRON GAS
ELECTRON-HOLE DROPLETS
HOLES
LIFETIME
LUMINESCENCE
FLUIDS
GASES
MATERIALS
PLASMA
SOLID-STATE PLASMA
360603* - Materials- Properties
656001 - Condensed Matter Physics- Solid-State Plasma