Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>An alternative interpretation is offered to explain a photoconductivity, rising exponentially with time under constant illumination, which has been detected in semiinsulating GaAs. Spatial inhomogeneities, caused by nonuniform defect density, present potential barriers to current flow. Illumination neutralizes the space charge, thus reduces these barriers, hence increases current at constant bias. Local electric fields consequently vary in time, which may establish polarization effects and lifetime discontinuities via exciton dissociation.</jats:p>