Cerenkov emission of acoustic phonons electrically generated from three-dimensional Dirac semimetals

Journal Article · Sat May 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4949753· OSTI ID:22596999

Kubakaddi, S. S., E-mail: [e-mail] ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003, Karnataka (India)

Cerenkov acoustic phonon emission is theoretically investigated in a three-dimensional Dirac semimetal (3DDS) when it is driven by a dc electric field E. Numerical calculations are made for Cd{sub 3}As{sub 2} in which mobility and electron concentration are large. We find that Cerenkov emission of acoustic phonons takes place when the electron drift velocity v{sub d} is greater than the sound velocity v{sub s}. This occurs at small E (∼few V/cm) due to large mobility. Frequency (ω{sub q}) and angular (θ) distribution of phonon emission spectrum P(ω{sub q}, θ) are studied for different electron drift velocities v{sub d} (i.e., different E) and electron concentrations n{sub e}. The frequency dependence of P(ω{sub q}, θ) shows a maximum P{sub m}(ω{sub q}, θ) at about ω{sub m} ≈ 1 THz and is found to increase with the increasing v{sub d} and n{sub e}. The value of ω{sub m} shifts to higher region for larger n{sub e}. It is found that ω{sub m}/n{sub e}{sup 1/3} and P{sub m}(ω{sub q}, θ)/n{sub e}{sup 2/3} are nearly constants. The latter is in contrast with the P{sub m}(ω{sub q}, θ)n{sub e}{sup 1/2 }= constant in conventional bulk semiconductor. Each maximum is followed by a vanishing spectrum at nearly “2k{sub f} cutoff,” where k{sub f} is the Fermi wave vector. Angular dependence of P(ω{sub q}, θ) and the intensity P(θ) of the phonon emission shows a maximum at an emission angle 45° and is found to increase with increasing v{sub d}. P(θ) is found to increase linearly with n{sub e} giving the ratio P(θ)/(n{sub e}v{sub d}) nearly a constant. We suggest that it is possible to have the controlled Cerenkov emission and generation of acoustic phonons with the proper choice of E, θ, and n{sub e}. 3DDS with large n{sub e} and mobility can be a good source of acoustic phonon generation in ∼THz regime.

• OSTI ID: 22596999
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 119, Issue 19; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
CADMIUM ARSENIDES
CHERENKOV RADIATION
CONCENTRATION RATIO
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON DRIFT
ELECTRONS
EMISSION
EMISSION SPECTRA
FREQUENCY DEPENDENCE
MOBILITY
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PHONONS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SOUND WAVES
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS
VELOCITY