Circular photogalvanic effect in HgTe/CdHgTe quantum well structures

Abstract: We describe the observation of the circular and linear photogalvanic effects in HgTe/CdHgTe quantum wells. The interband absorption of mid-infrared radiation as well as the intrasubband absorption of terahertz (THz) radiation in the QWs structures is shown to cause a dc electric current due to these effects. The photocurrent magnitude and direction varies with the radiation polarization state and crystallographic orientation of the substrate in a simple way that can be understood from a phenomenological theory. The observed dependences of the photocurrent on the radiation wavelength and temperature are discussed.