Photoexcited quantum wells: Nonlinear screening, bistability, and negative differential capacitance

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Abstract
The dielectric response of an electron-hole plasma confined to a slab is calculated within the Hartree approximation for electric fields perpendicular to the slab walls. The results are used to infer the capacitance behavior of photoexcited quantum-well structures under different rate conditions. Case studies show that nonlinearities in the carrier-density dependence of the energy spectrum and scattering times can lead to bistability and negative differential capacitance.