Photogalvanic current in a double quantum well

M. V. Entin, L. I. Magarill

Published 2012-12-24Version 1

We study the in-plane stationary current caused by phototransitions between the states of a double quantum well. The electric polarization of light has both vertical and in-plane components. The stationary current originates from the periodic vibration of electrons between two non-equivalent quantum wells caused by the normal component of the alternating electric field with simultaneous in-plane acceleration/deceleration by the in-plane component of electric field. The quantum mechanism of the stationary current is conditioned by in-plane transition asymmetry which appears due to the indirect phototransitions with the participation of impurity scattering. The photocurrent has a resonant character corresponding to the equality of the photon energy to the distance between subbands. It is found that the current appears as a response to the linear-polarized light.