Premium
Cascade Capture and Hot Photoelectrons in One‐Dimensional Semiconductors
Author(s) -
Zakhleniuk N. A.,
Ridley B. K.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
physica status solidi (b)
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 109
eISSN - 1521-3951
pISSN - 0370-1972
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3951(199711)204:1<287::aid-pssb287>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - photoexcitation , cascade , semiconductor , electron , photoelectric effect , atomic physics , electron capture , free electron model , monochromatic color , coulomb , physics , chemistry , optoelectronics , excited state , quantum mechanics , optics , chromatography
Abstract A theory of cascade capture of hot carriers by an attracting Coulomb centre in one‐dimensional semiconductors under non‐equilibrium conditions due to external monochromatic photoexcitation is developed. It is shown that for a small concentration of capture centres in a quantum wire there are two groups of free electrons with very different partial lifetimes. The contribution of each group to the total electron lifetime can dominate at different external conditions. A formula for the total electron lifetime is derived and discussed in detail. The lifetime in a quantum wire is found to be much shorter than the corresponding lifetime in a three‐dimensional electron gas. At large concentrations of the capture centres there is only one group of free hot electrons above the percolation level and their lifetime strongly depends on the energy of the photoexcitation.