# Supression of magnetic subbands in semiconductor superlattices driven by a laser f ield.

## I Introduction.

The continous increase of laser intensity is making possible the study of a wide range of non-linear phenomena in atoms, plasmas and solids under the action of intense electromagnetic radiation .

In the last decade these studies have been extended to semiconductor nanostructures under intense electric fields, originated by an applied ac voltage or a high-intensity infrared laser. At frequencies of the order of $`1THz`$, typical of free-electron lasers, photon energies are comparable to the energy separation of the electronic levels and nanostructures couple strongly to the electromagnetic field. In the case of semiconductor superlattices of period $`d`$, driven by electromagnetic radiation of frequency $`\omega `$, amplitude $`F`$ and polarized in a direction perpendicular to the interfaces, the I vs V curves are modified and non-linear behaviour is observed. Holthaus  has predicted the collapse of minibands and the dynamical localization of electrons with the corresponding supression of the coherent tunneling current if $`F/F_0`$ is a zero of the Bessel function $`J_0`$, being $`F_0=\mathrm{}\omega /ed`$. As a consequence of Tucker’s formula , tunneling processes in which the absorption or emission of N photons take place are inhibited when $`F/F_0`$ is a zero of $`J_N`$ . Sequential photon-assisted tunneling, with differential negative resistivity, dynamical electron localization, formation of electric field domains and absolute negative conductance for low applied voltages have been observed experimentally . In the miniband transport regime the effect of inverse Bloch oscillations has been reported . Many of these phenomena have been theoretically explained  and several interesting predictions have been made: oscillations of the superlattice reflection coefficient of the radiation due to dynamical electron localization , step-like behaviour of the interminiband multiphotonic absorption coefficient , spontaneous breaking of temporal symmetry with the appearance of a dc current in presence of an ac voltage  and the occurrence of Rabi oscillations when $`\mathrm{}\omega `$ is close to the energy difference between two minibands . A new kind of microwave frequency multiplier, an ultra-fast detector of $`THz`$ radiation and a Bloch laser based in the driven motion of the electrons in one miniband have been proposed .

The energy spectrum of a superlattice of period $`d`$ under the action of a magnetic field $`B`$ perpendicular to the growth direction has also been well studied . Instead of Bloch minibands, one has Landau magnetic subbands, with energies $`E_n(x_0)+\mathrm{}^2k^2/(2m^{})`$, where $`x_0`$, ($`d/2x_0d/2`$) is the position of the centre of the cyclotronic orbit, $`k`$ is the momentum along the magnetic field direction and $`m^{}`$ the conduction electron effective mass. Let $`l_B=(\mathrm{}c/eB)^{1/2}`$ be the magnetic length. If the ratio $`d/l_B<1`$, the first subbands are almost flat and those of higher index $`n`$ present a dispersive character. If $`d/l_B>1`$, all subbands are dispersive. The difference between these two regimes is observed in optical intraband absorption at frequencies close to that of cyclotronic resonance $`\omega _c=eB/m^{}c`$ . The dispersion of magnetic subbands makes possible tunneling in the growth direction, which occurs via transitions between consecutive subbands in the anti-crossing points .

This work considers a new, combined situation, in which a superlattice undergoes the action of a magnetic field perpendicular to its growth direction and intense electromagnetic radiation, linearly polarized in a direction perpendicular to $`\stackrel{}{B}`$. We search for the occurrence of effects such as the collapse of magnetic subbands and electronic localization similar to those predicted for Bloch minibands. The magnetic field introduces a new characteristic frequency (the cyclotron frequency) in the system under consideration, and an enhanced effect of the external electromagnetic field is expected near the resonance conditions. Additionally, $`\stackrel{}{B}`$ couples the motion in the directions perpendicular to it and, therefore, a similar result should be observed for waves polarized in either of these directions. We have found that non-linear effects become important for relatively lower intensities and radiation polarized in any direction perpendicular to the magnetic field. Quasienergies and density of states in the Kramers - Henneberger approximation are calculated and the conditions under which collapse of magnetic subbands and supression of N-photon absorption or emission processes occur are analyzed.

## II Schrodinger equation. Kramers-Henneberger approximation.

Let $`OX`$ be the growth direction of the superlattice and $`OZ`$ the magnetic field direction. The electromagnetic radiation of frequency $`\omega `$ and amplitude $`F`$ can be polarized either in $`OX`$ or $`OY`$ directions.

In the effective mass approximation, the envelope wavefunction of a conduction electron can be written as

$$\psi (\stackrel{}{r},t)=\frac{1}{S}\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{i}{\mathrm{}}(qy+kz)\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{i}{\mathrm{}}\frac{k^2}{2m^{}}t\right)\widehat{U}\phi (x,t)$$
(1)   
where $`S`$ is the transverse area of the sample, and $`m^{}`$ is the conduction electron effective mass. We have considered that $`m^{}`$ is constant, independent of $`x`$. The validity of this, commonly used, approximation has been discussed in . The time-dependent unitary transformation $`\widehat{U}`$ is given by :

$$\widehat{U}=\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{i}{\mathrm{}}u(t)\widehat{p}\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{i}{\mathrm{}}v(t)x\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{i}{\mathrm{}}w(t)\right)$$
(2)   
With the choice

$`u(t)`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{eF}{m^{}}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\omega }{\omega _c}}\right)^{s1}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{cos}\omega t}{\omega _c^2\omega ^2}}`$ (3)   
$`v(t)`$ $`=`$ $`eF\omega _c\left({\displaystyle \frac{\omega _c}{\omega }}\right)^s{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{sin}\omega t}{\omega _c^2\omega ^2}}`$ (4)   
$`w(t)`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{e^2F^2}{4m^{}(\omega ^2\omega _c^2)}}t{\displaystyle \frac{e^2F^2(\omega _c^2+\omega ^2)}{8m^{}\omega (\omega _c^2\omega ^2)^2}}\mathrm{sin}2\omega t`$ (5)   
$`+`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{eFl_B^2q}{(\omega _c^2\omega ^2)}}\omega _c\left({\displaystyle \frac{\omega _c}{\omega }}\right)^s\mathrm{sin}\omega t`$ (6)   
for $`\omega \omega _c`$, the function $`\phi (x,t)`$ satisfies the equation

$$i\mathrm{}\frac{\phi }{t}=\left(\widehat{H}_0+\widehat{W}(t)\right)\phi $$
(7)   
where

$`\widehat{H}_0={\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{}^2}{2m^{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{d^2}{dx^2}}+{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}m^{}\omega _c^2(xx_0)^2+V_0(x)`$ (8)   
$`\widehat{W}(t)=2{\displaystyle \underset{N=1}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}V_N(x)\mathrm{cos}N\omega t`$ (9)   
$`V_N(x)=V{\displaystyle \underset{m=\mathrm{}}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}}a_mJ_N\left(m{\displaystyle \frac{F}{F_0}}\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(i{\displaystyle \frac{2\pi mx}{d}}\right)N=0,1,\mathrm{}`$ (10)   
$`F_0(\omega )={\displaystyle \frac{edB^2}{2\pi m^{}c^2}}\left({\displaystyle \frac{\omega }{\omega _c}}\right)^s\left[\left({\displaystyle \frac{\omega }{\omega _c}}\right)^21\right]`$ (11)   
$`x_0={\displaystyle \frac{l_B^2}{\mathrm{}}}q`$ (12)   
Here $`Va_m`$ are the Fourier coefficients of the superlattice potential:

$$V(x)=V\underset{m}{}a_m\mathrm{exp}\left(i\frac{2\pi mx}{d}\right)$$
(13)   
and $`s`$ takes values $`0`$ or $`1`$ for electromagnetic waves polarized along $`OX`$ or $`OY`$ axis.

The effect of radiation is expressed in the ”dressed” potential $`V_0(x)`$, which renormalizes magnetic subbands, and the superposition of harmonic terms with amplitude $`V_N(x)`$, giving raise to N-photon emission and absorption processes. The dynamical Stark effect is included in Eq.(3) for $`w(t)`$ as a phase shift of the wavefunction, and is given by

$$\mathrm{\Delta }E=\frac{e^2F^2}{4m^{}(\omega ^2\omega _c^2)}$$
(14)   
When $`F<<F_0`$, $`V_NV(F/F_0)^N`$ and standard time-dependent perturbation theory can be applied. Non-linear effects become important for $`FF_0`$. If $`F>>F_0`$, all $`V_N`$ have the same order of magnitude and $`WV(F_0/F)^{1/2}`$.

When $`\omega `$ is close to $`\omega _c`$, $`F_0`$ is relatively small. For example, if $`B=16T`$, $`m^{}=0.067m_e`$ and $`d=20nm`$, then $`F_010^2V/cm`$. This corresponds to intensities about $`10^2W/cm^2`$, which can be reached with a c.w. laser. Therefore, the dynamics of recombination processes and many-body effects due to high levels of photoexcitation need not to be considered.

Quasienergies $`\epsilon `$ are the eigenvalues of the operator $`\widehat{H}_0+\widehat{W}i\mathrm{}/t`$  and can be obtained from the poles of $`\widehat{G}(t)`$, the retarded Green’s function averaged over a period $`T=2\pi /\omega `$ of the initial time. The Kramers-Henneberger approximation (KHA), widely used in atoms , approximates $`\epsilon `$ by the eigenvalues of $`\widehat{H}_0`$ and corresponds to the zeroth order term of the expansion of $`\widehat{G}(t)`$ in even powers of $`\widehat{W}`$:

$$\widehat{G}(t)=\underset{p=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\widehat{G}_0\left(\widehat{W}\widehat{G}_0\right)^{2p}$$
(15)   
where $`\mathrm{}`$ denotes the time-average operation described above. Following the arguments of , it is easy to show that the above series converges absolutely. Note that $`V_0`$ enters the expansion in zeroth order, whereas $`V_N`$ ($`N>1`$) contributes only to second and higher orders. When $`F>>F_0`$ Eq.(15) is an expansion in powers of $`\alpha =(V/(\mathrm{}\omega _c))(F_0/F)^{1/2}`$. Then, as KHA neglects terms of the order of $`\alpha ^2`$ it is expected to give a good result if $`\alpha ^2<<1`$. Since in this case $`V_0(x)=Va_0+O(\alpha )`$, the dressed potential can also be considered an small perturbation partially breaking the degeneracy of Landau levels.

It is important to realize that the limit $`\alpha 0`$ can be achieved not only by increasing the laser intensity ($`I\mathrm{}`$) but also by approaching the cyclotronic frequency ($`\omega \omega _c`$).

In what follows, we will consider a particular potential:

$$V(x)=\frac{V}{2}\left(1\mathrm{cos}\frac{2\pi x}{d}\right)$$
(16)   
for which the expressions of $`V_N(x)`$ have the simple form

$$V_N(x)=\frac{V}{2}\left[\delta _{N,0}J_N\left(\frac{F}{F_0}\right)\mathrm{cos}\left(\frac{2\pi x}{d}+\frac{N\pi }{2}\right)\right]$$
(17)   
In this case, magnetic subbands collapse when $`F/F_0`$ is a zero of $`J_0`$, and processes involving absorption or emission of N photons are quenched at zeros of $`J_N`$.

However, for an arbitrary superlattice, $`V_N(x)`$ is given by Eqs.(10) and different harmonics are modified in different proportions, so $`V_N(x)`$ does not necessarily become zero for finite values of $`F/F_0`$. When $`F/F_0\mathrm{}`$ ($`\alpha 0`$) and $`N`$ is fixed, $`V_N`$ approaches zero as $`V(F_0/F)^{1/2}`$ and magnetic subbands are supressed. In this limit multiphoton processes of many orders have a contribution of similar magnitude to the absorption and emission probabilities.

To order $`\alpha `$ the quasienergies are given by the expression

$$E_n^{(1)}(x_0)=\mathrm{}\omega _c\left(n+\frac{1}{2}\right)+\frac{V}{2}U_n\mathrm{cos}\frac{2\pi x_0}{d}$$
(18)   
where

$$U_n=\frac{V}{2}J_0\left(\frac{F}{F_0}\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(\frac{\pi ^2l_B^2}{d^2}\right)L_n\left(\frac{2\pi ^2l_B^2}{d^2}\right)$$
(19)   
and $`L_n(z)`$ are Laguerre polynomials.

## III Results and discussion.

Numerical diagonalization of $`\widehat{H}_0`$ gives the electron quasienergies $`E_n(x_0)`$ in the KHA, shown in Fig.1 (solid lines) for $`V=0.3eV`$, $`m^{}=0.067m_e`$, $`B=16T`$, $`d=20nm`$ and $`F/F_0=0;5;10;15;20;30`$, corresponding to laser intensities lower than $`10^5W/cm^2`$ at frequencies $`\omega \omega _c`$. We have also shown the quasienergies obtained from Eq.(18)(dashed lines).

The curves show the following features:

1. In the absence of radiation ($`F=0`$) all magnetic subbands are dispersive, in agreement with , since for the values of $`B`$ and $`d`$ considered $`d>l_B`$.
2. As $`F/F_0`$ increases, the magnetic subbands become flat.
3. As $`F/F_0`$ increases, the results derived from Eq.(18) approach those calculated in KHA approximation.
4. The facts described in b. and c. do not occur monotonously, because of the oscillations of $`J_0`$. For example, these effects are stronger for $`F/F_0=15`$ than for $`F/F_0=20`$ because $`J_0`$ has a zero in $`14.9309`$.
5. One must expect the same qualitative behaviour for any superlattice, but in the general case there are no finite values of $`F/F_0`$ for which magnetic subbands collapse. Note that in this case

$$V_0(x)=V\underset{m=\mathrm{}}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}a_mJ_0\left(m\frac{F}{F_0}\right)\mathrm{exp}\left(i\frac{2\pi mx}{d}\right)$$
(20)

In Fig.2 we show the density of electron states (DOS) calculated from Eq.(18) for $`F/F_0=5`$ and $`15`$. When magnetic subbands become flat, the time averaged velocity in the $`OY`$ direction is zero and electron motion becomes one-dimensional, as can be seen in the shape of the DOS curve for $`F/F_0=15`$. Under these conditions, tunneling in the direction of growth is expected to be quenched, as for Bloch minibands.

We conclude that, when $`\omega `$ approaches $`\omega _c`$, magnetic subbands are supressed, tunneling in the growth direction is inhibited and multiphoton processes dominate intersubband absorption spectra.

## ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work has been partially supported by an Alma Mater Project of the University of Havana. Authors thank Humberto S. Brandi for helpful suggestions. One of us (C. R. C.) also acknowledges Carlos Tejedor and Gloria Platero for warm hospitality and detailed discussions of the manuscript at Universidad Autónoma and Institute for Materials in Madrid, Spain.

Figure captions:

Fig 1. Electron quasienergies $`E_n(x_0)`$ ($`n=0,1,2,3,4`$) as functions of the centre of the cyclotronic orbit for different values of $`F/F_0`$. (Solid lines: KHA. Dashed lines: 1st order perturbation theory)

Fig 2. Density of electron states in 1st order perturbation theory for $`F/F_0=5`$ and $`15`$.