Semiconductors Probed by Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy, Volume 1 discusses the use of ultrafast laser spectroscopy in studying fast physics in semiconductors. It reviews progress on the experimental and theoretical understanding of ultrafast events that occur on a picosecond and nanosecond time scale. This volume first explores the relaxation of energy and the momentum of hot carriers and then turns to relaxation of plasmas and phonons. It also discusses the dynamics of excitons, polaritons, and excitonic molecules and reviews transient transport and diffusion of carriers. Scientists, engineers, and graduate students will find this book invaluable.

Semiconductors Probed by Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy, Volume II discusses the use of ultrafast laser spectroscopy in studying fast physics in semiconductors. It reviews progress on the experimental and theoretical understanding of ultrafast events that occur on a picosecond and nanosecond time scale. This volume discusses electronic relaxation in amorphous semiconductors and the physical mechanisms during and after the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a semiconductor. It also covers the relaxation of carriers in semiconductors; transient optical pulse propagation; and methods of time-resolved spectroscopy. Scientists, engineers, and graduate students will find this book invaluable.

Semiconductors Probed by Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy, Volume II discusses the use of ultrafast laser spectroscopy in studying fast physics in semiconductors. It reviews progress on the experimental and theoretical understanding of ultrafast events that occur on a picosecond and nanosecond time scale. This volume discusses electronic relaxation in amorphous semiconductors and the physical mechanisms during and after the interaction of an intense laser pulse with a semiconductor. It also covers the relaxation of carriers in semiconductors; transient optical pulse propagation; and methods of tim ...

It is widely recognized that an understanding of the optical pro perties of matter will give a great deal of important information re levant to the fundamental physical properties. This is especially true in semiconductor physics for which, due to the intrinsic low screening of these materials, the optical response is quite rich. Their spectra reflect indeed as well electronic as spin or phonon transitions. This is also in the semiconductor field that artificial structures have been recently developed, showing for the first time specific physical properties related to the low dimentionality of the electronic and vi bronic properties : with this respect the quantum and fractional quan tum Hall effects are among the most well known aspects. The associated reduced screening is also a clear manifestation of these aspects and as such favors new optical properties or at least significantly enhan ces some of them. For all these reasons, it appeared necessary to try to review in a global way what the optical investigation has brought today about the understanding of the physics of semiconductors. This volume collects the papers presented at the NATO Advanced study Inst i tut e on "Optical Properties of Semiconductors" held at the Ettore Majorana Centre, Erice, Sicily on March 9th to 20th, 1992. This school brought together 70 scientists active in research related to optical properties of semiconductors. There were 12 lecturers who pro vided the main contributions .

An international team of experts describes the optical and electronic properties of semiconductors and semiconductor nanostructures at picosecond and femtosecond time scales. The contributions cover the latest research on a wide range of topics. In particular they include novel experimental techniques for studying and characterizing nanostructure materials. The contributions are written in a tutorial way so that not only researchers in the field but also researchers and graduate students outside the field can benefit.

This handbook gives a complete and detailed survey of the field of semiconductor physics. It addresses every fundamental principle, the most important research topics and results, as well as conventional and emerging new areas of application. Additionally it provides all essential reference material on crystalline bulk, low-dimensional, and amorphous semiconductors, including valuable data on their optical, transport, and dynamic properties. This updated and extended second edition includes essential coverage of rapidly advancing areas in semiconductor physics, such as topological insulators, quantum optics, magnetic nanostructures and spintronic systems. Richly illustrated and authored by a duo of internationally acclaimed experts in solar energy and semiconductor physics, this handbook delivers in-depth treatment of the field, reflecting a combined experience spanning several decades as both researchers and educators. Offering a unique perspective on many issues, Semiconductor Physics is an invaluable reference for physicists, materials scientists and engineers throughout academia and industry.

Under certain conditions electrons in a semiconductor become much hotter than the surrounding crystal lattice. When this happens, Ohm's Law breaks down: current no longer increases linearly with voltage and may even decrease. Hot electrons have long been a challenging problem in condensed matter physics and remain important in semiconductor research. Recent advances in technology have led to semiconductors with submicron dimensions, where electrons can be confined to two (quantum well), one (quantum wire), or zero (quantum dot) dimensions. In these devices small voltages heat electrons rapidly, inducing complex nonlinear behavior; the study of hot electrons is central to their further development. This book is the only comprehensive and up-to-date coverage of hot electrons. Intended for both established researchers and graduate students, it gives a complete account of the historical development of the subject, together with current research and future trends, and covers the physics of hot electrons in bulk and low-dimensional device technology. The contributions are from leading scientists in the field and are grouped broadly into five categories: introduction and overview; hot electron-phonon interactions and ultra-fast phenomena in bulk and two-dimensional structures; hot electrons in quantum wires and dots; hot electron tunneling and transport in superlattices; and novel devices based on hot electron transport.

A comprehensive account of the latest developments in the rapidly expanding area of Semiconductor Technology. Main topics covered include real space transfer/heterostructures, ultrafast studies, optical studies, transport theory, devices, ballistic transport, scattering processes and hot phonons, tunnelling, far infrared and magnetic field studies and impact ionization/noise/chaos. Other aspects include the use of femtosecond lasers in investigating transient hot carrier effects on femtosecond timescales, magnetotransport and carrier-carrier interactions.