Free carrier absorption in cascade structures due to static scatterers in the in-plane polarization

Abstract: We report on the computation of the free carrier absorption induced by static scatterers in cascade structures when the electromagnetic wave propagates along the growth axis. We find that a Drude-like tail exists for this polarization. The absorption is found larger than when the wave propagates in the layer plane. Also intra-subband scattering is found more efficient than inter-subband scattering. The alloy scattering is found to be particularly efficient.