Photon energy dependence of the sign of the current-induced absorption polarization sensitivity in degenerate semiconductors

We theoretically analyze the effect of current-induced polarization depende nce of absorption (fundamental and intersubband) and gain in degenerate sem iconductors. The sign of the currentinduced polarization selectivity of abs orption is shown to depend on the energy of the initial (or final) state of the transition with respect to the Fermi level and, therefore, on the phot on energy. The effect is predicted to be important for understanding and, p otentially, engineering polarization properties of devices such as vertical -cavity surface-emitting lasers. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.