Critical electric field for Stark-ladder formation in a GaAs/AlAs superlattice

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Abstract
We have systematically measured the electroreflectance spectra of a GaAs (3.2 nm)/AlAs (0.9 nm) superlattice embedded in a p-i-n structure at 77 K under various electric-field conditions to investigate the transformation from miniband states to Stark-ladder states. It is demonstrated that the critical electric field for Stark-ladder formation for the heavy-hole transition is different from that for the light-hole transition, and that the ratio of the critical electric fields is in agreement with that of the total miniband widths. The critical electric field is discussed from a transfer-matrix analysis.