Abstract
Properties of the valence-band structure of modulation-doped type-III quantum wells (QW’s) have been studied by means of magneto-transport experiments and self-consistent Hartree calculations using the full Hamiltonian in the envelope-function approximation. A metallic top gate was used in order to investigate the band structure by varying the hole concentration or the Fermi energy. This resulted in direct experimental evidence of an indirect band gap in a quantum well with an inverted band structure. The Kramers degeneracy for finite k is removed, and only one spin-orbit split valence subband is occupied due to the indirect band structure. The fourfold symmetry of the valence band at finite values of is also reflected in a QW with a normal band structure, whose valence band has four occupied secondary maxima at finite values of in addition to the central maximum.
- Received 19 February 2002
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.66.075322
©2002 American Physical Society