Exchange interaction in the yellow exciton series of cuprous oxide

Abstract

We experimentally and numerically investigate the exchange interaction of the yellow excitons in cuprous oxide. By varying the material parameters in the numerical calculations, we can interpret experimental findings and understand their origin in the complex band structure and central-cell corrections. In particular, we experimentally observe the reversal of the ortho- and paraexciton for the $2S$ yellow exciton, and explain this phenomenon by an avoided crossing with the green $1S$ orthoexciton in a detailed numerical analysis. Furthermore, we discuss the exchange splitting as a function of the principal quantum number $n$ and its deviation from the $n^{-3}$ behavior expected from a hydrogenlike model. We also explain why the observed exchange splitting of the green $1S$ exciton is more than twice the splitting of the yellow $1S$ state.