A novel technique is presented for interpreting magnetic field-dependent Hall data at magnetic fields below the range at which Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations occur. The technique generates a ‘‘mobility spectrum’’ in which the maximum carrier density or maximum conductivity is determined as a continuous function of mobility. Examples of the use of the technique with synthetic data as well as data from HgCdTe and GaAs/AlGaAs samples are provided. Other uses of the procedure, including measurement of Fermi surface shapes and direct measurement of the distribution of relaxation times, are discussed.

Vfe present a detailed investigation of the coherent dynamics of excitonic wave packets composed of heavy/light-hole, electron miniband, and Wannier-Stark states in GaAs/Al Gai As superlattices. Using transient degenerate four-wave mixing, we study the dependence of Bloch oscillations and heavy/light-hole beats on the applied field, miniband width, lattice temperature, and excitation conditions. Bloch oscillations are observed in samples with minibandwidths varying from 13 to 46 meV and at lattice temperatures up to 200 K. Under certain excitation conditions, we observe higher harmonics of the Bloch oscillation frequency. Spectrally resolved transient four-wave mixing experiments show unambiguously that quantum-mechanical interference is the origin of the oscillations. The experimental four-wave mixing traces are compared with a theoretical model based on many-level third-order density-matrix theory.

The photoconductive gain, g, and generation-recombination (GR) noise of multiple-quantum-well infrared detectors are calculated for structures in which the well capture probability, pc, and the fraction of current derived from tunneling are allowed to vary through the structure. For uniform pc and no tunneling current, g=1/(Npc), where N is the number of wells. The GR noise power under the same conditions is 4eĪgB(1−pc/2), where e is electronic charge, Ī is the mean current, and B is the measurement bandwidth. When pc≪1, the noise contributions from carrier generation and decay (recombination) are equal as in a homogeneous photoconductor. However, when pc→1, the recombination noise decreases to zero, and the noise is equal to the shot noise of N series-connected, independent junctions.

L-asparaginase is an effective antileukaemic drug and a potent inhibitor of hepatic protein synthesis. Its effect on lipid metabolism was studied in two cohorts of children with ALL, one of whom received L-asparaginase concomitantly with three other drugs (protocol BFM 79). In the second protocol (BFM 83) administration of L-asparaginase was arranged to follow the other three drugs in time sequence. The two major findings of this study were elevated serum levels of total cholesterol and a strong increase in serum triglycerides. The former change was due to an increase in alpha-cholesterol and could not be attributed to L-asparaginase because it was also found following protocol BFM 83 before the administration of the drug. Elevations of total triglycerides were due to high levels of exogenous chylomicron bound triglycerides and were limited in occurrence almost exclusively to the period of L-asparaginase monotherapy. Hypothyroidism was excluded as a possible pathogenetic mechanism. These changes in lipid metabolism induced by L-asparaginase during intensive remission induction chemotherapy are fully reversible.