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Quantum statistics of an electron–hole plasma
Author(s) -
Kraeft W. D.,
Kilimann K.,
Kremp D.
Publication year - 1975
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.2220720202
Subject(s) - bohr radius , mott transition , plasma , physics , exciton , condensed matter physics , ionization , atomic physics , electron , instability , excited state , phase transition , quantum mechanics , ion , hubbard model , superconductivity
Thermodynamic functions of an electron–hole plasma in an optically excited semiconductor are derived in the nondegenerate region. The existence of excitons and the ionization equilibrium are discussed in the n e – T (electron density–temperature) plane. Above the Mott curve ( r 0 = 0.84 a 0 , r 0 screening length, a 0 Bohr's radius) excitons do not exist. Besides the well known electron–hole droplet phase transition the critical point of which lies above the Mott curve, a region of instability is found below the Mott curve which might correspond to a plasma phase transition (weakly ionized plasma → strongly ionized plasma). Outside of this instability region at the Mott curve a diffuse phase transition (Mott‐transition) exists.