Ultrafast coherent and incoherent dynamics of intersubband excitations in quasi-two-dimensional semiconductors

Thomas Elsaesser; Robert A. Kaindl; Stephan Lutgen; Michael Woerner; Andreas Hase; Harald Kuenzel

doi:10.1117/12.306140

23 April 1998 Ultrafast coherent and incoherent dynamics of intersubband excitations in quasi-two-dimensional semiconductors

Thomas Elsaesser, Robert A. Kaindl, Stephan Lutgen, Michael Woerner, Andreas Hase, Harald Kuenzel

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 3277, Ultrafast Phenomena in Semiconductors II; (1998) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.306140
Event: Optoelectronics and High-Power Lasers and Applications, 1998, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Intersubband excitations play an important role for ultrafast carrier dynamics in quasi-two-dimensional semiconductors and for device applications. We present a study of the ultrafast coherent and incoherent dynamics of intersubband excitations in a pure electron plasma by means of femtosecond spectroscopy in the mid-infrared. The different relaxation processes following intersubband excitation of electrons in GaInAs/AllnAs quantum wells are observed in real-time and the relevant microscopic scattering mechanisms are identified. We find a decay of coherent intersubband polarizations on a time scale of several hundreds of femtoseconds which is governed by electron-electron scattering. Electrons excited to the n equals 2 conduction subband undergo intersubband scattering to the n equals 1 subband by emission of longitudinal optical phonons with characteristic time constants of 1 ps. This is followed by thermalization of the backscattered electrons on a similar time scale, involving both electron-electron and electron-phonon scattering. Eventually, the hot electron distribution cools down to lattice temperature within about 50 ps.

Citation Download Citation

Thomas Elsaesser, Robert A. Kaindl, Stephan Lutgen, Michael Woerner, Andreas Hase, and Harald Kuenzel "Ultrafast coherent and incoherent dynamics of intersubband excitations in quasi-two-dimensional semiconductors", Proc. SPIE 3277, Ultrafast Phenomena in Semiconductors II, (23 April 1998); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.306140

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