Abstract
Negative photoconductivity in n-GaAs has been observed in the far infrared spectral range between 20 and 29 cm−1. Negative photoconductivity occurs when a magnetic field is applied to the samples and impact ionization of shallow donors by the electric bias field is the dominant mechanism of electron excitation to the conduction band. A conceivable model qualitatively explaining the experimental results is proposed, which involves optical transitions from the lowest Landau subband to higher bound states of shallow donors.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
For a review see: G.E. Stillman, C.M. Wolfe, and J.O. Dimmock in: Semiconductors and Semimetals, ed. R.K. Willardson and A.C. Beer, vol. 12, pp. 169, Academic Press, 1977.
M.S. Skolnick, A.C. Carter, Y. Couder, and R.A. Stradling, J. Opt. Soc. Am.,67, 947 (1977).
D.J. Oliver, Phys. Rev.127, 1045 (1962).
R.A. Reynolds, Solid State Electron.,11, 385 (1968).
G.E. Stillman, D.M. Larsen, C.M. Wolfe, and R.C. Brand, Solid State Commun.,9, 2245 (1971).
G.E. Stillman, C.M. Wolfe, and J.O. Dimmock, Proc. Int. Conf. on Phys. Semicond., Warsaw (1972), p. 863.
H.J.A. Bluyssen, I.C. Maan, L.J. van Ruynen, F. Williams, and P. Wyder, Solid State Commun.25, 895 (1978).
F. Stöckmann, Z. Phys.,143, 348 (1955).
S.G. Petrosyan and A.Ya. Shik, Sov. Phys. Semicond.,10, 804 (1976).
A. Philipp, F. Kuchar, and K. Seeger, phys. stat. sol. (b)79, 115 (1977).
D.M. Larsen, Phys. Rev.B8, 535 (1973).
E.M. Gershenzon, G.N. Gol'tsman, and A.I. Elat'ev, Sov. Phys. JETP45, 555 (1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Heisel, W., Bohm, W. & Prettl, W. Negative FIR-photoconductivity in n-GaAs. Int J Infrared Milli Waves 2, 829–837 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007279
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01007279