Far-infrared response of free charge carriers localized in semiconductor nanoparticles

Abstract

A Monte Carlo method is employed to calculate the dynamical conductivity in the terahertz range of free charge carriers localized in semiconductor nanoparticles. The shape of the conductivity spectrum is essentially determined by the probability of carrier transition through interparticle boundaries and by the ratio of the nanoparticle size and carrier mean free path in the bulk. It is shown that the conductivity spectrum exhibits similar features as the classical extension of the Drude conductivity of electrons proposed by Smith [Phys. Rev. B 64, 155106 (2001)]. We find and discuss the link of this model to the results of our simulations which suggests an interpretation of the phenomenological parameters of the Drude-Smith model.