TUNNELING SPECTROSCOPY OF HOLE PLASMONS IN A VALENCE-BAND QUANTUM-WELL

We investigate the current-voltage characteristics of a p-doped resona nt tunneling diode. In the voltage range slightly above the bias corre sponding to resonant tunneling of holes into the first light-hole subb and of the quantum well, we observe two satellite peaks which we attri bute to plasmon-assisted tunneling transitions. A theoretical model is presented to account for these peaks. The model is based on the excit ation of intrasubband and intersubband heavy-hole plasmons in the quan tum well by hot holes injected close to the energy of the first light- hole subband. We also study the behavior of the satellites when a magn etic field is applied either parallel to or perpendicular to the curre nt.