Hole diffusivity in GaAsBi alloys measured by a picosecond transient grating technique

Abstract

We applied a time-resolved transient grating technique for investigation of nonequilibrium carrier dynamics in GaAs1−xBix alloys with x=0.025–0.063. The observed decrease in carrier bipolar diffusivity with lowering temperature and its saturation below 80 K revealed a strong localization of nonequilibrium holes. Thermal activation energy ΔEa=46 meV of diffusivity and low hole mobility value μh=10–20 cm2/V s at room temperature confirmed the hybridization model of the localized Bi states with the valence band of GaAs. Nonlinear increase in carrier recombination rate with the Bi content, 1/τR∝Bi(x)3.2 indicated an increasing structural disorder in the alloy.