ABSTRACT
We experimentally investigate pattern formation phenomena in the electroluminescence of ac-driven ZnS:Mn thin films. Under suitable driving conditions, certain samples show a broad spectrum of patterns, which ranges from stationary filamentary distributions to traveling fronts and pulses. We present a survey of the bifurcation scenarios, choosing the frequency and amplitude of the driving voltage as bifurcation parameters. Moreover, we investigate the influence of the temperature on the dissipative current and pattern formation. The experimental results are used to identify activating and inhibiting processes, and a pattern formation mechanism based on autocatalysis and lateral inhibition is suggested.
ABSTRACT
In semiconductors, nonlinear generation and recombination processes of free carriers and nonlinear charge transport can give rise to non-equilibrium phase transitions, . At low temperatures, the basic nonlinearity is due to the autocatalytic generation of free carriers by impact ionization of shallow impurities. The electric field accelerates free electrons, causing an abrupt increase in free carrier density at a critical electric field. In static electric fields, this nonlinearity is known to yield complex filamentary current patterns bound to electric contacts.