Stimulated recombination from the defect level in doped lead telluride

Abstract

The relaxation processes of the photoexcited carriers from the defect level in the band gap to the valence band states were investigated in Na and Tl doped p-type PbTe single crystals at T = 77 K. The observed photosignal oscillations were proved to be induced by stimulated recombination of photoexcited carriers from the defect level E_d ≈ 50 meV above the top of the valence band. Non-equilibrium carrier inversion population was produced by impulses of a TEA CO₂-laser. The observed stimulated recombination may presumably be used for designing IR semiconductor lasers operating in the wavelength range of λ ∼ 25 μm at T = 77 K.