Multiband kp theory of carrier escape from quantum wells

V. V. Nikolaev and E. A. Avrutin
Phys. Rev. B 70, 125319 – Published 24 September 2004

Abstract

A general theory of multichannel coherent particle escape introducing the escape matrix based on the scattering formalism has been developed and applied to the problem of hole escape from biased quantum wells. This approach incorporates band-mixing effects, such as valence-band nonparabolicity and heavy-to-light (light-to-heavy) hole transformations, in the theory of carrier escape from quantxum wells consistently with the principles of multiband effective-mass theory. The numerical calculations, made in the Luttinger approximation, show significant influence of the band-mixing effects on the hole escape time and are in satisfactory agreement with available experimental data. The effective decrease of the heavy-hole tunneling mass (“lightening”) as a result of the light-hole admixture is found to be the major reason for the escape-time decrease, as compared to the simple parabolic-band effective-mass model. The concept of the escape matrix can be used for investigating multichannel coherent escape processes in different systems such as quantum wires, quantum dots, or photonic structures.

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  • Received 23 March 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.70.125319

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

V. V. Nikolaev

  • Department of Electronics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom and A. F. Ioffe Physico-Technikal Institute, 26 Politechnicheskaya, St. Petersburg 194021, Russia

E. A. Avrutin

  • Department of Electronics, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, United Kingdom

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Issue

Vol. 70, Iss. 12 — 15 September 2004

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