Band structure of holes in p-type δ-doping quantum wells and superlattices

p-type δ-doping quantum wells and superlattices are semiconductor systems of considerable interest for basic research and device applications. In this paper, a method for calculating potentials and band structures of such systems is developed. The method relies on a plane-wave expansion of the multiband effective-mass equation, uses kinetic energy matrices of any size, and takes exchange correlation into account in a more rigorous way than this was done before. The method is used to calculate potential profiles, subband and miniband structures, as well as Fermi level positions for a series of p-type δ-doping quantum wells and superlattices. Exchange-correlation effects turn out to be rather large. Only if they are properly taken into account reasonable agreement with experimental photoluminescence data can be achieved. For comparison, potentials and energy levels are also calculated for electrons of n-type δ-doping systems. The potential wells for electrons are considerably deeper and wider, and exchange-correlation effects are less pronounced than for holes. The physical reasons for these differences and their implications on luminescence spectra from n- and p-type δ-doping structures are discussed. © 1996 The American Physical Society.