Nonequilibrium phase transition in photoinjected plasma in semiconductors

Abstract

We analize the stability of the nonlinear nonequilibrium thermodynamic steady state of a double component plasma generated by continuous laser light illumination in direct-gap polar semiconductors. It is shown that in the extremely degenerate regime there occurs a transition to a non-metallic nonequilibrium dissipative structure. In the intermediate degenerate regime there is a coexistence of the non-metallic nonequilibrium phase with a metallic one. Above a certain temperature, for each concentration, the carrier system is almost purely metallic. The non-conducting phase is produced as a result of collective plus nonlinear dissipative effects in the far-from-equilibrium system.