arXiv subjects

M. E. Portnoi

Publications and source records attributed to M. E. Portnoi.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2013

Terahertz Science and Technology of Carbon Nanomaterials

The diverse applications of terahertz radiation and its importance to fundamental science makes finding ways to generate, manipulate, and detect terahertz radiation one of the key areas of modern applied physics. One approach is to utilize carbon nanomaterials, in particular, single-wall carbon nanotubes and graphene. Their novel optical and electronic properties offer much promise to the field of terahertz science and technology. This article describes the past, current, and future of the terahertz science and technology of carbon nanotubes and graphene. We will review fundamental studies such as terahertz dynamic conductivity, terahertz nonlinearities, and ultrafast carrier dynamics as well as terahertz applications such as terahertz sources, detectors, modulators, antennas, and polarizers.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Quasi-exact solution to the Dirac equation for the hyperbolic secant potential

We analyze bound modes of two-dimensional massless Dirac fermions confined within a hyperbolic secant potential, which provides a good fit for potential profiles of existing top-gated graphene structures. We show that bound states of both positive and negative energies exist in the energy spectrum and that there is a threshold value of the characteristic potential strength for which the first mode appears. Analytical solutions are presented in several limited cases and supercriticality is discussed.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

One-dimensional Van Hove polaritons

We study the light-matter coupling of microcavity photons and an interband transition in a one-dimensional (1D) nanowire. Due to the Van Hove singularity in the density of states, resulting in a resonant character of the absorption line, the achievement of strong coupling becomes possible even without the formation of a bound state of an electron and a hole. The calculated absorption in the system and corresponding energy spectrum reveal anticrossing behavior characteristic of the formation of polariton modes. In contrast to the case of conventional exciton polaritons, the formation of 1D Van Hove polaritons will not be restricted to low temperatures and can be realized in any system with a singularity in the density of states.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2013

Aharonov-Bohm quantum rings in high-Q microcavities

A single-mode microcavity with an embedded Aharonov-Bohm quantum ring, which is pierced by a magnetic flux and subjected to a lateral electric field, is studied theoretically. It is shown that external electric and magnetic fields provide additional means of control of the emission spectrum of the system. In particular, when the magnetic flux through the quantum ring is equal to a half-integer number of the magnetic flux quantum, a small change in the lateral electric field allows tuning of the energy levels of the quantum ring into resonance with the microcavity mode providing an efficient way to control the quantum ring-microcavity coupling strength. Emission spectra of the system are calculated for several combinations of the applied magnetic and electric fields.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Electric dipole moment oscillations in Aharonov-Bohm quantum rings

Magneto-oscillations of the electric dipole moment are predicted and analyzed for a single-electron nanoscale ring pierced by a magnetic flux (an Aharonov-Bohm ring) and subjected to an electric field in the ring's plane. These oscillations are accompanied by periodic changes in the selection rules for inter-level optical transitions in the ring allowing control of polarization properties of the associated terahertz radiation.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2012

Searching for confined modes in graphene channels: the variable phase method

Using the variable phase method, we reformulate the Dirac equation governing the charge carriers in graphene into a nonlinear first-order differential equation from which we can treat both confined-state problems in electron waveguides and above-barrier scattering problems for arbitrary-shaped potential barriers and wells, decaying at large distances. We show that this method agrees with a known analytic result for a hyperbolic secant potential and go on to investigate the nature of more experimentally realizable electron waveguides, showing that, when the Fermi energy is set at the Dirac point, truly confined states are supported in pristine graphene. In contrast to exponentially-decaying potentials, we discover that the threshold potential strength at which the first confined state appears is vanishingly small for potentials decaying at large distances as a power law, but nonetheless further confined states are formed when the strength and spread of the potential reach a certain threshold.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Zero-energy states in graphene quantum dots and rings

We present exact analytical zero-energy solutions for a class of smooth decaying potentials, showing that the full confinement of charge carriers in electrostatic potentials in graphene quantum dots and rings is indeed possible without recourse to magnetic fields. These exact solutions allow us to draw conclusions on the general requirements for the potential to support fully confined states, including a critical value of the potential strength and spatial extent.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2011

Excitons in narrow-gap carbon nanotubes

We calculate the exciton binding energy in single-walled carbon nanotubes with narrow band gaps, accounting for the quasi-relativistic dispersion of electrons and holes. Exact analytical solutions of the quantum relativistic two-body problem are obtain for several limiting cases. We show that the binding energy scales with the band gap, and conclude on the basis of the data available for semiconductor nanotubes that there is no transition to an excitonic insulator in quasi-metallic nanotubes and that their THz applications are feasible.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2010

Smooth electron waveguides in graphene

We present exact analytical solutions for the zero-energy modes of two-dimensional massless Dirac fermions fully confined within a smooth one-dimensional potential V(x)= - α/cosh(βx), which provides a good fit for potential profiles of existing top-gated graphene structures. We show that there is a threshold value of the characteristic potential strength α/β for which the first mode appears, in striking contrast to the non-relativistic case. A simple relationship between the characteristic strength and the number of modes within the potential is found. An experimental setup is proposed for the observation of these modes. The proposed geometry could be utilized in future graphene-based devices with high on/off current ratios.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Spin-orbit terms in multi-subband electron systems: A bridge between bulk and two-dimensional Hamiltonians

We analyze the spin-orbit terms in multi-subband quasi-two-dimensional electron systems, and how they descend from the bulk Hamiltonian of the conduction band. Measurements of spin-orbit terms in one subband alone are shown to give incomplete information on the spin-orbit Hamiltonian of the system. They should be complemented by measurements of inter-subband spin-orbit matrix elements. Tuning electron energy levels with a quantizing magnetic field is proposed as an experimental approach to this problem.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2008

Superlattice properties of semiconductor nanohelices in a transverse electric field

A charge carrier confined in a quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor helical nanostructure in the presence of an electric field normal to the axis of the helix is subjected to a periodic potential proportional to the strength of the field and the helix radius. As a result, electronic properties of such nanohelices are similar to those of semiconductor superlattices with parameters controlled by the applied field. These properties include Bragg scattering of charge carriers by a periodic potential, which results in energy gap opening at the edge of the superlattice Brillouin zone. This provides an opportunity for creating a new class of tunable high-frequency devices based on semiconductor nanohelices.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2008

Photon emission induced by elastic exciton--carrier scattering in semiconductor quantum wells

We present a study of the elastic exciton--electron ($X-e^-$) and exciton--hole ($X-h$) scattering processes in semiconductor quantum wells, including fermion exchange effects. The balance between the exciton and the free carrier populations within the electron-hole plasma is discussed in terms of ionization degree in the nondegenerate regime. Assuming a two-dimensional Coulomb potential statically screened by the free carrier gas, we apply the variable phase method to obtain the excitonic wavefunctions, which we use to calculate the 1$s$ exciton--free carrier matrix elements that describe the scattering of excitons into the light cone where they can radiatively recombine. The photon emission rates due to the carrier-assisted exciton recombination in semiconductor quantum-wells (QWs) at room temperature and in a low density regime are obtained from Fermi's golden rule, and studied for mid-gap and wide-gap materials. The quantitative comparison of the direct and exchange terms of the scattering matrix elements shows that fermion exchange is the dominant mechanism of the exciton--carrier scattering process. This is confirmed by our analysis of the rates of photon emission induced by electron-assisted and hole-assisted exciton recombinations.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2006

Terahertz emitters and detectors based on carbon nanotubes

We formulate and justify several proposals utilizing the unique electronic properties of different types of carbon nanotubes for a broad range of applications to THz optoelectronics, including THz generation by hot electrons in quasi-metallic nanotubes, frequency multiplication in chiral-nanotube-based superlattices controlled by a transverse electric field, and THz radiation detection and emission by armchair nanotubes in a strong magnetic field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2005

Superlattice properties of carbon nanotubes in a transverse electric field

Electron motion in a (n,1) carbon nanotube is shown to correspond to a de Broglie wave propagating along a helical line on the nanotube wall. This helical motion leads to periodicity of the electron potential energy in the presence of an electric field normal to the nanotube axis. The period of this potential is proportional to the nanotube radius and is greater than the interatomic distance in the nanotube. As a result, the behavior of an electron in a (n,1) nanotube subject to a transverse electric field is similar to that in a semiconductor superlattice. In particular, Bragg scattering of electrons from the long-range periodic potential results in the opening of gaps in the energy spectrum of the nanotube. Modification of the bandstructure is shown to be significant for experimentally attainable electric fields, which raises the possibility of applying this effect to novel nanoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.other↗

arXiv2004

Exactly-solvable problems for two-dimensional excitons

Several problems in mathematical physics relating to excitons in two dimensions are considered. First, a fascinating numerical result from a theoretical treatment of screened excitons stimulates a re-evaluation of the familiar two-dimensional hydrogen atom. Formulating the latter problem in momentum space leads to a new integral relation in terms of special functions, and fresh insights into the dynamical symmetry of the system are also obtained. A discussion of an alternative potential to model screened excitons is given, and the variable phase method is used to compare bound-state energies and scattering phase shifts for this potential with those obtained using the two-dimensional analogue of the Yukawa potential. The second problem relates to excitons in a quantising magnetic field in the fractional quantum Hall regime. An exciton against the background of an incompressible quantum liquid is modelled as a few-particle neutral composite consisting of a positively-charged hole and several quasielectrons with fractional negative charge. A complete set of exciton basis functions is derived, and these functions are classified using a result from the theory of partitions. Some exact results are obtained for this complex few-particle problem.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Induced currents, frozen charges and the quantum Hall effect breakdown

Puzzling results obtained from torque magnetometry in the quantum Hall effect (QHE) regime are presented, and a theory is proposed for their explanation. Magnetic moment saturation, which is usually attributed to the QHE breakdown, is shown to be related to the charge redistribution across the sample.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2003

Excitonic Mott transition in double quantum wells

We consider an electron-hole system in double quantum wells theoretically. We demonstrate that there is a temperature interval over which an abrupt jump in the value of the ionization degree occurs with an increase of the carrier density or temperature. The opposite effect - the collapse of the ionized electron-hole plasma into an insulating exciton system - should occur at lower densities. In addition, we predict that under certain conditions there will be a sharp decrease of the ionization degree with increasing temperature - the anomalous Mott transition. We discuss how these effects could be observed experimentally.

cond-mat.stat-mech↗

arXiv2003

Anyon exciton revisited: Exact solutions for a few-particle system

The anyon exciton model is generalized to the case of a neutral exciton consisting of a valence hole and an arbitrary number N of fractionally-charged quasielectrons (anyons). A complete set of exciton basis functions is obtained and these functions are classified using a result from the theory of partitions. Expressions are derived for the inter-particle interaction matrix elements of a six-particle system (N=5), which describes an exciton against the background of an incompressible quantum liquid with filling factor 2/5. Several exact results are obtained in a boson approximation, including the binding energy of a (N+1)-particle exciton with zero in-plane momentum and zero internal angular momentum.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗