THz frequency- and wavevector-dependent conductivity of low-density drifting electron gas in GaN: Monte Carlo calculations

G. Syngayivska (1) , V. Korotyeyev (2) , V. Kochelap (3) , L. Varani (4, 5)

1 NASU / НАН України - National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine = Національна академія наук України = Académie nationale des sciences d'Ukraine
2 Institute of Semiconductor Physics NAS of Ukraine
3 V.E. Lashkaryov Institute of Semiconductor Physics
4 IES - Institut d’Electronique et des Systèmes
5 TéHO - Térahertz, hyperfréquence et optique

We report the results of Monte Carlo simulation of electron dynamics in stationary and spaceand time-dependent electric fields in compensated GaN samples. We have determined the frequency and wavevector dependencies of the dynamic conductivity, σω,q. We have found that the spatially dependent dynamic conductivity of the drifting electrons can be negative under stationary electric fields of moderate amplitudes, 2..5 kV/cm. This effect is realized in a set of frequency windows. The low-frequency window with negative dynamic conductivity is due to the Cherenkov mechanism. For this case the time-dependent field induces a traveling wave of the electron concentration in real space and a standing wave in the energy/momentum space. The higher frequency windows of negative dynamic conductivity are associated with the optical phonon transient time resonances. For this case the time-dependent field is accompanied by oscillations of the electron distribution in the form of the traveling waves in both the real space and the energy/momentum space. We discuss the optimal conditions for the observation of these effects. We suggest that the studied negative dynamic conductivity can be used to amplify electromagnetic waves at the expense of energy of the stationary field and current.

Domaines: Matière Condensée [cond-mat]

G. Syngayivska, V. Korotyeyev, V. Kochelap, L. Varani. THz frequency- and wavevector-dependent conductivity of low-density drifting electron gas in GaN: Monte Carlo calculations. Journal of Applied Physics, 2019, 125 (13), pp.135704. ⟨10.1063/1.5082016⟩. ⟨hal-02092237⟩