Equilibrium density of an electron-hole liquid in a strong magnetic field: A possibility of phase separation
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri 65211 (United States)
The ground state of a model electron-hole liquid (EHL) in a strong magnetic field is investigated. In the regime when only a few Landau subbands are occupied the complex behavior of the equilibrium density leads to a possibility of phase separation. At certain magnetic-field strengths the EHL ground-state energy plotted as a function of the density has two local minima corresponding to two phases with different numbers of Landau subbands occupied. As a result the equilibrium density of EHL will have strong discontinuities as a function of the magnetic field, occurring whenever the relative strength of those minima changes. In a nonequilibrium system, such as a real electron-hole droplet, both phases may be present simultaneously. We discuss several luminescence and infrared absorption experiments, and suggest that they indicate such a phase separation.
- OSTI ID:
- 6520157
- Journal Information:
- Physical Review, B: Condensed Matter; (United States), Vol. 47:24; ISSN 0163-1829
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ELECTRON-HOLE DROPLETS
GROUND STATES
FERMI GAS
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
DENSITY
ENERGY
EQUILIBRIUM
INFRARED RADIATION
LUMINESCENCE
MAGNETIC FIELDS
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ENERGY LEVELS
FLUIDS
GASES
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PLASMA
RADIATIONS
SOLID-STATE PLASMA
SPECTRA
665000* - Physics of Condensed Matter- (1992-)