Excitons and the electronic polarization in semiconductors

Abstract

In the first part of this paper we remind the reader of some basic ideas developed by Schottky in the 1940s on the electronic polarization around a hole or excess electron state in a semiconductor. We present both the corresponding wave functions in the configuration space as well as formulated by means of second quantization. Correspondingly, the Hamiltonian in second quantization is transformed into Hamiltonians referring to the motion of excess electrons and holes, electronic polarization waves and the corresponding interaction terms. This Hamiltonian has found various applications of which a few are indicated, such as the electronic polaron, the renormalized exciton, a generalized Förster process, and self-induced transparency of excitons. Effects of the electronic polarization on quantum well states are expected.