Competition between inverse piezoelectric effect and deformation potential mechanism in undoped GaAs revealed by ultrafast acoustics

Institut des Molécules et Matériaux du Mans, CNRS UMR 6283, av. O. Messiaen, 72085 Le Mans

Abstract

By using the picosecond ultrasonics technique, piezoelectric effect in <111> GaAs undoped sample at both faces (A[111] and B[-1-1-1]) is experimentally studied. We demonstrate that piezoelectric generation of sound can dominate in <111> GaAs material over the deformation potential mechanism even in the absence of static externally applied or built-in electric field in the semiconductor material. In that case, the Dember field, caused by the separation of photo-generated electrons and holes in the process of supersonic diffusion, is sufficient for the dominance of the piezoelectric mechanism during the optoacoustic excitation. The experimental results on the sample at both faces reveal that in one case (A face), the two mechanisms, piezoelectric effect and deformation potential, can compensate each other leading to a large decrease of the measured Brillouin oscillation magnitude.