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Many-body and correlation effects in semiconductors

Nature volume 411, pages 549–557 (2001)Cite this article

Abstract

Solids consist of 1022–1023 particles per cubic centimetre, interacting through infinite-range Coulomb interactions. The linear response of a solid to a weak external perturbation is well described by the concept of non-interacting ‘quasiparticles’ first introduced by Landau. But interactions between quasiparticles can be substantial in dense systems. For example, studies over the past decade have shown that Coulomb correlations between quasiparticles dominate the nonlinear optical response of semiconductors, in marked contrast to the behaviour of atomic systems. These Coulomb correlations and other many-body interactions are important not only for semiconductors, but also for all condensed-matter systems.

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Figure 1: Strong negative time-delay signals in time-integrated four-wave mixing (FWM) from GaAs quantum wells.
Figure 2: Delayed rise of FWM signals from GaAs quantum wells.
Figure 3: FWM signals due to high-order correlation in GaAs.
Figure 4: Wigner-function representation of resonant Rayleigh scattering from GaAs quantum wells.
Figure 5: Signature of higher-order correlations in the coherent response of ZnSe.
Figure 6: Reversible electron–photon scattering in GaAs.
Figure 7: Coherent response of GaAs in the quantum Hall regime.
Figure 8
Figure 9

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Acknowledgements

The work of D.S.C. was supported by the Director, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Office of Science, US Department of Energy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, and Materials Science Division, University of California at Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, 94720, California, USA

    D. S. Chemla

  2. Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies, Holmdel, 07733, New Jersey, USA

    Jagdeep Shah

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Correspondence to Jagdeep Shah.

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Chemla, D., Shah, J. Many-body and correlation effects in semiconductors. Nature 411, 549–557 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/35079000

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