Premium
The Thermalization Process of Photoexcited Electrons and Holes in the Second Kinetic Stage of Relaxation
Author(s) -
Maia Ana E. P.,
Filho A. P. C. Pires,
Sampaio A. J. C.,
Freire V. N.
Publication year - 1993
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.2221800120
Subject(s) - photoexcitation , thermalisation , electron , kinetic energy , non equilibrium thermodynamics , physics , atomic physics , relaxation (psychology) , dissipation , excited state , quantum mechanics , psychology , social psychology
We analyze the process of dissipation of energy in excess of equilibrium in photoexcited carriers (electrons and holes) during their second kinetic stage of relaxation (SKS). Quantum kinetic equations obtained from Zubarev's nonequilibrium statistical operator are used, and different initial effective temperatures for electrons and holes are taken. It is shown that holes relax their excess energy faster than electrons for all levels of photoexcitation, and that the mutual thermalization of electron and hole sub‐systems depends on the degree of photoexcitation. The lapse of time for electrons and holes to attain mutual equilibrium is estimated to be of the order of 6ps for a density of photoinjected carriers in GaAs of the order of n = 2.0 × 10 18 cm − 3 , when the initial excess of kinetic energy per pairis taken as 2.4 eV.