Carrier dynamics and coherent acoustic phonons in nitride heterostructures

Abstract

We model generation and propagation of coherent acoustic phonons in piezoelectric $\mathrm{In}\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}∕\mathrm{Ga}\mathrm{N}$ multiquantum wells embedded in a $p\text{\ensuremath{-}}i\text{\ensuremath{-}}n$ diode structure and compute the time resolved reflectivity signal in simulated pump-probe experiments. Carriers are created in the InGaN wells by ultrafast pumping below the GaN band gap and the dynamics of the photoexcited carriers is treated in a Boltzmann equation framework. Coherent acoustic phonons are generated in the quantum well via both deformation potential electron-phonon and piezoelectric electron-phonon interaction with photogenerated carriers, with the latter mechanism being the dominant one. Coherent longitudinal acoustic phonons propagate into the structure at the sound speed modifying the optical properties and giving rise to a giant oscillatory differential reflectivity signal. We demonstrate that coherent optical control of the differential reflectivity can be achieved using a delayed control pulse.