Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio University, March, 1993. / Title from PDF t.p.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available in electronic version.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008. / Committee Chair: Citrin, David; Committee Member: Dupuis, Russell; Committee Member: Gaylord, Thomas; Committee Member: Rhodes, William; Committee Member: Zhang, Zhuomin.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Florida, 2003. / Title from title page of source document. Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (M.S. in Applied Physics and M.S. in Electrical Engineering)--Naval Postgraduate School, June 2005. / Thesis Advisor(s): Gamani Karunasiri, James Luscombe, Robert Hutchins, John Powers. Includes bibliographical references (p. 129-131). Also available online.

In a semiconductor, negative charge is carried by conduction-band electrons and positive charge is carried by valence-band holes. While charge transport properties can be understood by considering the motion of these carriers individually, the optical properties are largely determined by their mutual interaction. The hydrogen-like bound state of an electron with a hole, or exciton, is the fundamental optical excitation in direct-gap materials such as gallium arsenide and cadmium telluride. In this dissertation, we consider charged excitons, or trions. A bound state of an exciton with a resident electron or hole, trions are a relatively pure manifestation of the three-body problem which can be studied experimentally. This is a subject of practical as well as academic interest: Since the trion is the elementary optical excitation of a resident free carrier, the related optical processes can open pathways for manipulating carrier spin and carrier transport. We present three experimental investigations of trion-based optical processes in semiconductor quantum wells. In the first, we demonstrate electromagnetically induced transparency via the electron spin coherence made possible by the trion transition. We explore the practical limits of this technique in high magnetic fields. In the second, we present a direct measurement of trion and exciton oscillator strength at high magnetic fields. These data reveal insights about the structure of the trion's three-body wavefunction relative to that of its next excited state, the triplet trion. In the last, we investigate the mechanism underlying exciton-correlated tunneling, an optically-controllable transport process in mixed-type quantum wells. Extensive experimental studies indicate that it is due to a local, indirect interaction between an exciton and a hole, forming one more example of a trion-mediated optical process. This dissertation includes previously published co-authored material.

Gegenstand der vorliegenden Arbeit ist die Untersuchung der Photolumineszenzdynamik von Halbleiter-Quantentöpfen (Quantum Wells), die durch Anregung von Intraband-Übergängen mittels resonanter Laserpulse im mittleren Infrarot- und Terahertz-Spektralbereich verändert wird. Diese Zweifarbenexperimente wurden mit Hilfe eines optischen Aufbaus für zeitaufgelöste Photolumineszenzspektroskopie am Großgerät Freie-Elektronen Laser FELBE am Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf realisiert. Zeitlich verzögert zur gepulsten optischen Anregung über die Bandlücke wurden Intersubband- oder Intraexziton-Übergange in den Quantum Wells resonant angeregt. Die dadurch erreichte Ladungsträgerumverteilung zeigt sich in einer deutlichen Verringerung der Photolumineszenzintensität zum Zeitpunkt des zweiten Anregepulses, die im Folgenden als Photolumineszenz-Quenching bezeichnet wird. Zunächst wird die Stärke des Photolumineszenz-Quenchings in Abhängigkeit der Polarisationsrichtung des midinfraroten Laserstrahls ausgewertet. Während die Absorption durch freie Ladungsträger für beide Polarisationsrichtungen nachweisbar ist, wird experimentell gezeigt, dass Intersubbandabsorption nur möglich ist, wenn ein Anteil der anregenden Strahlung senkrecht zur Quantum-Well-Ebene polarisiert ist. Das Photolumineszenzsignal ist überwiegend an der energetischen Position der 1s-Exzitonresonanz unterhalb der Bandkante messbar. Die intraexzitonischen Übergangsenergien in Quantum Wells liegen typischerweise im Terahertzbereich. Unter intraexzitonischer 1s-2p Anregung erscheint auch auf dieser Energieskala ein abrupter Intensitätsverlust in der langsam abklingenden Photolumineszenztransiente. Erstmalig wurde im Photolumineszenzspektrum bei höheren Energien im Abstand der Terahertz-Photonenenergie ein zusätzliches 2s-Photolumineszenzsignal detektiert. Eine detaillierte theoretische Beschreibung dieses Problems durch unsere Kooperationspartner Koch et al. von der Phillips-Universität Marburg zeigt, dass unter intraexzitonischer 1s-2p Anregung eine effiziente Coulombstreuung zwischen den nahezu entarteten exzitonischen 2p- und 2s-Zustanden stattfindet. Während der 2p-Zustand optisch dunkel ist, kann die 2s-Population strahlend rekombinieren, was zu dem besagten 2s-Photolumineszenzsignal führt. Die Zeitkonstanten der untersuchten Ladungsträgerdynamik werden durch ein phänomenologisches Modell bestimmt, das die experimentellen Kurven sehr gut abbildet. Es wird ein Ratengleichungsmodell eingeführt, bei dem die involvierten Zustände auf optisch helle und optisch dunkle Besetzungsdichten reduziert werden. Darüber hinaus werden mit einem modifizierten Versuchsaufbau die Terahertz-induzierten Photolumineszenzsignaturen von Magnetoexzitonen untersucht. Die Stärke des 1s-Photolumineszenz-Quenchings ändert sich dabei entsprechend der magnetoexzitonischen Übergänge, die im betrachteten Feldstärkebereich zwischen 0T und 7T liegen. Für Magnetfelder größer als 3T sind keine 2s-Photolumineszenzsignale mehr messbar, da durch das externe magnetische Feld die Entartung der 2p- und 2s-Zustände aufgehoben wird.

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Physics / Master / Master of Philosophy

Neste trabalho são calculados os sub-níveis 1s, 2s, 2p±, 3s, 3p± e 3d±2 de elétrons ligados a impurezas doadoras em um poço quântico de GaAs/GaAlAs submetido a um campo magnético uniforme, via método variacional. São calculadas, então, as densidades de estados supondo-se uma distribuição uniforme de doadores, obtendo-se resultados que se assemelham aos do estado fundamental, com um pico principal e outro secundário. De posse do espectro desses sub-níveis rasos são calculados os coeficientes de absorção, na região do infra-vermelho distante, para as transições permitidas fazendo-se o uso da Regra de Ouro de Fermi. As densidades de doadores estão dentro dos limites do modelo de banda de impureza semi-clássica, portanto baixas densidades. Inicialmente é considerada uma compensação nula e uma distribuição uniforme de impurezas. Neste caso os cálculos são realizados analiticamente. Finalmente é considerada a compensação, sendo utilizada a simulação Monte Carlo. Neste segundo processo calcula-se o coeficiente de absorção, primeiramente considerando-se apenas o termo constante da expansão do potencial eletrostático das impurezas ionizadas. Em segunda etapa leva-se em conta os outros termos da expansão e faz-se um tratamento perturbativo. A forma da curva de absorção em infra-vermelho distante levando-se em conta este efeito da compensação é obtido pela primeira vez. São verificados alargamentos não homogêneos nas curvas de absorção e é estudado o efeito da variação da compensação e do campo magnético sobre o coeficiente de absorção. Este estudo constitui um elemento importante para o diagnóstico destas hetero-estruturas semicondutoras. / In this work we obtain the sub-levels 1s, 2s, 2p±, 3s, 3p±, and 3d±2 of donor bound electrons in a GaAs/GaAIAs quantum well by a variational calculation. The densities of states are calculated assuming an uniform distribution of donors, obtaining results similar to that of the ground state, with two peaks, a fundamental and a secundary. We calculate, then, the absorption coefficient, in the far infrared region, by means the Fermi\'s Golden Rule. The densities of donors are within the lirnits of the Semiclassical Impurity Band, i. e., low densities. The calculations are made analiticaly. Finally we consider a non-zero compensation and utilize the Monte Carlo simulation. In this second process the absorption coefficient is calculated firstly considering only the constant term of the expansion of the electroslatic potential due to ionized impurities. Then a perturbative treatement is made with the other terms in the expansion. The shape of the absorption coefficient in the far infrared, with the effect of compensation, was obtained by the first time. Inhomogeneous broadenings appear in the absorptions curves and the effect of variation of compensation and magnetic field is studied. This study is an important element for hetero-structures diagnosis.