Generation of acoustic phonons in semiconductor superlattice in the case of an intraband absorption of electromagnetic wave

We obtain the damping coefficient of an acoustic wave for the case of intraband multiphoton absorption of an electromagnetic wave in a superlattice. The ranges in which the acoustic damping coefficient reverses sign are determined for the sound-propagation directions which are transverse and parallel to the superlattice axis. Numerical summation of the series for the acoustic-wave gain is performed for typical parameters of the superlattice. The gain is estimated numerically. It is noted that multiphoton absorption affects the acoustic-wave gain in the superlattice if the field value is much smaller than that in a standard semiconductor. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2005.