INTERSUBBAND ABSORPTION OF LIGHT IN A SEMICONDUCTOR QUANTUM-WELL WITHA COMPLEX BAND-STRUCTURE

A theory is derived for intersubband absorption of light in a p-type q uantum-well structure made from semiconductors with a zinc blende latt ice. The contribution to the absorption spectrum from transitions betw een the lowest hole quantum-well subbands is calculated. In the polari zation e perpendicular to z, where z is the principal axis of the stru cture, the spectrum is dominated by an inverse-square-root singularity stemming from a minimum in the energy distance between subbands at a nonzero value of the 2D wave vector of a hole. The effect of an anisot ropy of the hole dispersion on the optical absorption spectrum is anal yzed. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.