Infrared radiation induced gyrotropic photocurrents in semiconductor nanostructures [Elektronische Ressource] / Helgi Diehl

This thesis deals with an advanced experimental investigation of infrared radiation induced gy-rotropic photocurrents in semiconductor nano-structures. These provide an access to non-equi-librium processes in low-dimensional materials like quantum wells allowing especially studies of spin and orbital properties of carriers. Even though a noticeable progress in both the basic research and utilisation of the gyrotropic currents has been achieved, their complete understanding is still a challenge. The conducted measurements improve the knowledge by revealing a number of new phenomena. Among them are a first experi-mental observation of circular photon drag effect demonstrating a simultaneous transfer of pho-ton linear and angular momenta to carriers and a detection of a nonlinear magneto-gyrotropic photocurrent. The latter effect coheres with the heavy-hole type of the lowest conduction band in HgTe quantum wells allowing, for instance, Helgi Diehldetermination of the quantum spin Hall insula-tor state. Infrared Radiation InducedGyrotropic Photocurrentsin Semiconductor Nanostructures1 3ISBN 978-3-86845-051-4Helgi DiehlDissertationsreihe Physik - Band 13Helgi DiehlInfrared Radiation InducedGyrotropic Photocurrentsin Seminconductor NanostructuresInfrared Radiation Induced Gyrotropic Photocurrents in Semiconductor NanostructuresDissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.