Carrier-carrier scattering and negative dynamic conductivity in pumped graphene

TL;DR

This paper theoretically investigates how carrier-carrier scattering influences dynamic conductivity in pumped graphene, revealing its significant impact on terahertz lasing conditions and identifying threshold frequencies for negative conductivity.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed theoretical analysis of carrier-carrier scattering effects on dynamic conductivity and lasing thresholds in pumped graphene, highlighting substrate and temperature influences.

Findings

Carrier-carrier scattering can dominate intraband radiation absorption.

Negative dynamic conductivity is achievable above 6 THz at room temperature.

High-k substrates lower the threshold frequency for lasing.

Abstract

We theoretically examine the effect of carrier-carrier scattering processes (electron-hole and electron-electron) on the intraband radiation absorption and their contribution to the net dynamic conductivity in optically or electrically pumped graphene. We demonstrate that the radiation absorption assisted by the carrier-carrier scattering can be stronger than the Drude absorption due to the carrier scattering on disorder. Since the intraband absorption of radiation effectively competes with its interband amplification, this can substantially affect the conditions of the negative dynamic conductivity in the pumped graphene and, hence, the interband terahertz and infrared lasing. We find the threshold values of the frequency and quasi-Fermi energy of nonequilibrium carriers corresponding to the onset of negative dynamic conductivity. The obtained results show that the effect of carrier-carrier scattering shifts the threshold frequency of the radiation amplification in pumped graphene to higher values. In particular, the negative dynamic conductivity is attainable at the frequencies above 6 THz in graphene on SiO2 substrates at room temperature. The threshold frequency can be decreased to markedly lower values in graphene structures with high-k substrates due to screening of the carrier-carrier scattering, particularly at lower temperatures.