Abstract

Generation of the far-infrared light by the optically excited semiconductors have been reported by numerous groups of researchers [1,2]. While such various mechanisms as current surge and the depletion field-induced optical rectification (OR) have been proposed, recent results [3] have shown that the bulk OR accounts for a major portion of the observed teraherz signal. Recently [4] we have evaluated the OR coefficients of the bulk zinc-blende semiconductors excited above the bandgap and obtained the results in agreement with the experimental data. We have shown that the OR has its origin in the asymmetry of bonding orbitals in the valence band.

© 1994 Optical Society of America