INTRABAND

TRANSITIONS
 Intraband transitions
• There are intraband processes which correspond to the electronic
conduction by free carriers, and hence are more important in
conducting materials such as metals, semimetals and degenerate
semiconductors.
• At zone centre, the valance band structure of most
semiconductors consist of Light hole, heavy hole and split off
bands. The three subbands are separated by spin orbit
interaction.
In P type semiconductor, the VB is filled with holes, & the
occupancy of different bands depends on doping & position of
fermi level.

Absorbtion of photon with right energy,results in transition

from LH to HH, SO to HH, SO to LH bands, depends on doping
and temperature. These are not observed in N type SC.
 Optical Absorption
• Absorption coefficient α is defined by
• I(x) = Io exp {-αx}

• where
• I(x) is the flux density if incident light is Io,
• x is the distance measured from the incident
surface.
•
 Absorption Spectrum Change under Applied
Electric Field
 Franz-Keldysh Effect
– Neglect Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes. Change in
absorption in the presence of a strong electric field.
 DC Stark Effect
– Franz-Keldysh effect plus Coulomb interaction between electrons and
holes (excitons). Change in atomic energy on application of electric
field.

 Quantum confined Start effect (QCSE)

– DC Stark Effect in quantum wells
– Excitons been confined in quantum well.
– Stark effect enhanced.
Franz-Keldysh effect
• The effect is named after the German physicist Walter Franz and Russian physicist
Leonid Keldysh.

• There is a change in optical absorption by a semiconductor when an electric field is

applied.

• Results in absorption of photon with energies less than the bandgap of the
semiconductor.

• At the turning points marked A and B, the electron wavefunctions change from
oscillatory to decaying behaviour.

• With increase in electric field, the distance AB decreases .

• In the absence of a photon, the valence electron has to tunnel through a triangular
barrier of height Eg and thickness d given by d=Eg/qE
FRANZ-KELDYSH EFFECTS
Franz-Keldysh effect
• With the assistance of an absorbed photon, photon of energy hw<Eg, the tunneling
barrier thickness is reduced to d”=(Eg-hw)/qE.

• Now the valence electron can easily tunnel to the conduction band.

• Net result is photon with energy hw<Eg is absorbed.

• The transverse component of momentum is conserved in this case.

• The Franz-Keldysh effect is therefore, photon assisted tunneling.

• The Franz-Keldysh effect occurs in uniform, bulk semiconductors.

• Franz-Keldysh-effect is used in electro-absorption modulators

• The effect of Franz-Keldysh effect will be small unless E≥105V/cm