Characteristic lengths for three-carrier transport with spin-flip and electron-hole recombination Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • 2016 American Physical Society. The exact solution of the linearized, steady-state transport equation for three-carrier systems, such as can occur for semiconductors and ionic conductors, is constructed starting from the near-equilibrium entropy-production requirements of irreversible thermodynamics. Three characteristic modes are found, one associated with electrostatic screening (which is often neglected), and two modes associated with diffusion and "reactions." For a spintronics model with up and down electrons and unpolarized holes, the "reactions" are spin-flip and electron-hole recombination. We discuss how the variations in carrier density, diffusivity, recombination rate, and spin relaxation time affect the characteristic lengths. We apply these modes to study spin-polarized surface photoabsorption.

published proceedings

  • PHYSICAL REVIEW B

author list (cited authors)

  • Krcmar, M., & Saslow, W. M.

citation count

  • 1

complete list of authors

  • Krcmar, Maja||Saslow, Wayne M

publication date

  • May 2016