INTRABAND ABSORPTION OF LIGHT IN QUANTUM-WELLS INDUCED BY ELECTRON-ELECTRON COLLISIONS

It is shown that in a semiconductor with quantum wells intraband absor ption of long-wavelength radiation due to Coulomb interaction of the e lectrons is possible as a result of band nonparabolicity. Analytical e xpressions for the absorption are found for the limiting cases of nond egenerate and strongly degenerate, two-dimensional electron, gas. At h igh carrier densities the absorption due to electron-electron interact ion can be much stronger than absorption due to electron-phonon intera ction. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.