Localization Contrast As a Fundamental Limit of Radiative Quantum Efficiency
Abstract
Disorder can localize valence- and conduction-band states to different degrees, yet whether such localization contrast has observable consequences remains poorly understood. Here, we show that localization contrast strongly impacts competing carrier-recombination channels. We illustrate this behavior in random InxGa1−xN alloys. Increasing the In content from x=13.5% to x=22% progressively localizes the valence-band maximum state while leaving the conduction-band minimum state comparatively delocalized. This contrasting localization decreases the interband optical momentum matrix element underlying radiative recombination. For Auger-Meitner recombination, however, localization alone does not determine the coupling; atomic-scale disorder also breaks primitive-cell translational symmetry and modifies the momentum-space and phase structure of the states. This generates additional low-Q components and enhances the Auger coupling by more than five orders of magnitude relative to pristine GaN. Thus, we provide a microscopic explanation for the competing trends in radiative and Auger recombination. More broadly, our results establish localization contrast as a mechanism through which disorder can control optical and carrier-carrier interactions in semiconductors.
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BibTeX
@misc{apelian2026localization,
title = {{Localization Contrast As a Fundamental Limit of Radiative Quantum Efficiency}},
author = {Arsineh Apelian and Tanay Tak and Xuance Jiang and Tsung-Yin Tsai and James S. Speck and Vojtech Vlcek},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.30741},
eprint = {2610.30741},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.30741},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Localization Contrast As a Fundamental Limit of Radiative Quantum Efficiency
AU - Arsineh Apelian
AU - Tanay Tak
AU - Xuance Jiang
AU - Tsung-Yin Tsai
AU - James S. Speck
AU - Vojtech Vlcek
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/24
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.30741
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.30741
AB - Disorder can localize valence- and conduction-band states to different degrees, yet whether such localization contrast has observable consequences remains poorly understood. Here, we show that localization contrast strongly impacts competing carrier-recombination channels. We illustrate this behavior in random In_xGa_1−xN alloys. Increasing the In content from x=13.5% to x=22% progressively localizes the valence-band maximum state while leaving the conduction-band minimum state comparatively delocalized. This contrasting localization decreases the interband optical momentum matrix element underlying radiative recombination. For Auger-Meitner recombination, however, localization alone does not determine the coupling; atomic-scale disorder also breaks primitive-cell translational symmetry and modifies the momentum-space and phase structure of the states. This generates additional low-Q components and enhances the Auger coupling by more than five orders of magnitude relative to pristine GaN. Thus, we provide a microscopic explanation for the competing trends in radiative and Auger recombination. More broadly, our results establish localization contrast as a mechanism through which disorder can control optical and carrier-carrier interactions in semiconductors.
ER -