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Laser Conditions in Semiconductors
Author(s) -
Bernard Maurice G. A.,
Duraffourg Georges
Publication year - 1961
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/pssb.19610010703
Subject(s) - condensed matter physics , impurity , semiconductor , quasi fermi level , fermi level , conduction band , semimetal , acceptor , fermi gamma ray space telescope , valence (chemistry) , laser , thermal conduction , atomic physics , materials science , physics , band gap , optoelectronics , optics , quantum mechanics , electron
The possibility of obtaining stimulated emissions in semiconductors has been considered for transitions between the conduction band and the valence band, or between one band and an impurity level. If the occupation of the bands and of the impurity levels is taken into account by quasi‐Fermi levels, the necessary condition for stimulated emission to be possible turns out to be simply: Δ F > hv where Δ F is the difference of the quasi‐Fermi levels of the initial and final state, and v is the emitted frequency. The existence of such quasi‐Fermi levels is discussed, and it is shown that the above condition is due to the second law of thermodynamics. Direct interband transitions in InAs or InSb, and transitions between the conduction band and Zn and In acceptor levels, respectively, in Ge and Si are thought to be sufficiently attractive to be studied experimentally.