Strain-induced semimetal-semiconductor transition in InAs/GaSb broken-gap quantum wells

A. Zakharova, S. T. Yen, and K. A. Chao
Phys. Rev. B 66, 085312 – Published 15 August 2002
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Abstract

We investigate the hybridization of the electron, heavy-hole and/or light-hole dispersion relations in strained InAs/GaSb quantum wells. In the considered structures, the lowest electron level lies below several hole levels at zero in-plane wave vector k, so that the anticrossings of subbands produce gaps in the in-plane dispersions. To calculate the electronic band structures of such quantum wells grown on different substrates, we use the eight-band kp model and the scattering matrix method. We have found that the order of levels at the zone center (k=0), gap positions and magnitudes can change due to the lattice-mismatched strain. Strain can also enhance the hybridization of electron and light-hole states at k=0 considerably. In the structure with a thick InAs layer grown on GaSb, we have obtained a negative indirect gap in the in-plane dispersion resulting from the anticrossing of electronlike and highest heavy-hole-like subbands. If the substrate is InAs, the gap becomes direct and positive. This phenomenon can be treated as strain-induced semimetal-semiconductor phase transition.

  • Received 1 March 2002

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.66.085312

©2002 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

A. Zakharova

  • Institute of Physics and Technology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovskii Avenue 34, Moscow 117218, Russia

S. T. Yen

  • Department of Electronics Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu, Taiwan, Republic of China

K. A. Chao

  • Department of Physics, Lund University, Sölvegutun 14A, S 233 62 Lund, Sweden

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Vol. 66, Iss. 8 — 15 August 2002

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