Aa. Ignatov et al., THZ-FIELD INDUCED NONLINEAR TRANSPORT AND DC VOLTAGE GENERATION IN A SEMICONDUCTOR SUPERLATTICE DUE TO BLOCH OSCILLATIONS, Zeitschrift fur Physik. B, Condensed matter, 98(2), 1995, pp. 187-195
We report on a theoretical analysis of terahertz (THz-) field induced
nonlinear dynamics of electrons in a semiconductor superlattice that a
re capable to perform Bloch oscillations. Our results suggest that for
a strong THz-fieId a de voltage should be generated. We have g e anal
yzed the real-time dynamics using a balance equation approach to descr
ibe the electron transport in a superlattice miniband. Taking account
of both Bloch oscillations of electrons in a superlattice miniband and
dissipation, we studied the influence of a strong THz-field on curren
tly available superlattices at room temperature. We found that a THz-f
ield can lead to a negative conductance resulting in turn in a THz-fie
ld induced de voltage, and that the voltage per superlattice period sh
ould show, for varying amplitue of the THz-field, a form of twisted pl
ateaus with the middle points being with high precision equal to the p
hoton energy divided by the electron charge. We show that the THz-fiel
d can cause fast switching from the zero-voltage to the finite voltage
state, and that in the finite voltage state dynamic localization of t
he electrons in a miniband occurs.