SEMICONDUCTOR EXCITON OPTICAL BISTABILITY AS INFLUENCED BY FREE CARRIERS

Abstract

Exciton density in an optically excited semiconductor is calculated as a function of pumping light intensity. In a certain domain in the detuning-intensity plane there may appear bistability of exciton density which is shown considerably influenced by the presence of free carriers. The carrier-induced effect manifests itself in the modification of phase diagrams leading to changes of the hysteresis loop size in both intensity-controlled and frequency-controlled bistabilities.