Chapter 3: Bloch oscillations in semiconductors: Principles and applications

In this chapter we review recent studies of Bloch oscillations in semiconductor superlattices. Particular emphasis is put on interband optical experiments, where a coherent ensemble of carders is created by laser excitation. These optical studies have been used to investigate many properties of Bloch oscillations. We discuss in detail recent experiments where the amplitude of the Bloch oscillation electrons is determined directly as a function of the bias field. We also show that the amplitude can be controlled by a variation of the optical excitation conditions. Further parts are devoted to a comparison of the interband optical experiments with transport experiments with and without intraband excitation, including recent transport experiments in natural superlattice structures. The chapter is concluded by a brief discussion of possible device applications.