Quasithreshold growth of far-infrared absorption in a GaSb/InAs/GaSb s
emimetallic quantum well has been observed. This effect is attributed
to the existence in the energy spectrum of such structures of a region
of quasi-three-dimensional electronic states near the Fermi level. Th
e proposed model is also confirmed by the strong temperature dependenc
e of the absorption. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.