Observation of anomalous linear photogalvanic effect and its dependence on wavelength in undoped InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well

Abstract

Abstract We observed an anomalous linear photogalvanic effect (ALPGE) in undoped InGaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well and studied its wavelength dependence in details. This effect is believed to originate from the optical momentum alignment effect and the inhomogeneity of light intensity. We find that the spot location with the maximum ALPGE current is wavelength independent. And the normalized ALPGE current decreasing at smaller wavelengths is attributed to the sharp decrease of the momentum and energy relaxation time. The electrical measurement of the spectra dependence of ALPGE is highly sensitive proving to be an effective method for detecting the momentum anisotropy of photoinduced carriers and band coupling.