Generation of THz radiation in semiconductors with cyclotron heating of heavy holes

Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Science - 46 Ulyanov st., 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

Corresponding author: vakuk@appl.sci-nnov.ru

Received: 19 September 2008
Accepted: 7 November 2008

Abstract

A method of THz radiation generation in semiconductors in crossed static magnetic and alternating electric fields is considered. It is based on the inversion of the transition between heavy- and light-hole sub-bands in the THz spectral range. This inversion is created due to cyclotron frequencies of heavy and light holes being different. Under sufficiently low hole density when the hole-hole energy exchange is less efficient than the hole-lattice one, this fact leads to a situation when the resonant with heavy holes pump alternating electric field heats only the heavy-hole population thereby inverting the heavy-light holes transition in a narrow spectral range. The optimal parameters of such a scheme were found and it was shown that it can operate even at room temperature (in the pulsed mode).