Temperature controlled L\'evy flights of minority carriers in photoexcited bulk n-InP

Abstract

We study the spatial distribution of minority carriers arising from their anomalous photon-assisted diffusion upon photo-excitation at an edge of n-InP slab for temperatures ranging from 300 K to 78 K. The experiment provides a realization of the "L\'evy flight" random walk of holes, in which the L\'evy distribution index gamma is controlled by the temperature. We show that the variation \gamma(T) is close to that predicted earlier on the basis of the assumed quasi-equilibrium (van Roosbroek-Shockley) intrinsic emission spectrum, \gamma=1-\Delta /kT, where \Delta(T) is the Urbach tailing parameter of the absorption spectra. The decreasing \gamma at lower temperatures results in a giant enhancement in the spread of holes -- over distances exceeding 1 cm from the region of photo-excitation.