D. B. Mast

Multiple subband population in delta-doped AlAsSb/InGaAs heterostructures

We have measured the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) effect in δ-doped AlAs0.56Sb0.44/In0.53Ga0.47As heterostructures and observed a population of the second subband. Using the persistent photoconductivity effect we increased the electron density from 26.73 to 28.20×1011 cm−2 in the first subband and 6.61 to 7.20×1011 cm−2 in the second. The onset of the second subband population occurs when the first subband is filled to a density of 11.56×1011 cm−2. From the nonparabolic band approximation we calculated the effective masses in both subbands before illumination. The effective mass for the second subband was evaluated using the temperature dependence of the SdH amplitude. Its value agrees well with the values obtained from the k⋅p approximation and infrared cyclotron resonance measurements.

Persistent photoconductivity in thin undoped GaInP/GaAs quantum wells

Persistent photoconductivity has been observed at low temperatures in thin, unintentionally doped GaInP/GaAs/GaInP quantum wells. The two‐dimensional electron gas was studied by low field Hall and Shubnikov–de Haas effects. After illumination with red light, the electron concentration increased from low 1011 cm−2 to more than 7×1011 cm−2 resulting in an enhancement of both the carrier mobility and the quantum lifetime. The persistent photocarriers cannot be produced by DX‐like defects since the shallow dopant concentration in the GaInP layers is too low to produce the observed concentration. We suggest that the persistent carriers are produced by photoionization of deep intrinsic donors in the GaInP barrier layer. We also report observation of a parallel conduction path in GaInP induced by extended illumination.

Observation of integer and fractional giant Shapiro steps in arrays of SNS Josephson junctions

We observe giant Shapiro steps in the I-V curves of NxM arrays of SNS Josephson junctions; these steps occur at N times the single junction voltage. Both integer and fractional giant steps are observed as a function of temperature, external magnetic field, and rf current. The fractional steps occur at multiples of 1/q times the giant Shapiro step voltage and are seen at well defined values of the applied field, p/q flux quantum per placquette. We also observe a fractional step at 1/2 integer voltages, even in zero applied field. These fractional steps decrease in size if random site disorder is introduced to the array.