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Energy Dispersion Contour Approach to Calculate Optical Properties of Quantum Well Structures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

T. Osotchan
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
W. Shi
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
D.H. Zhang
Affiliation:
School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
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Abstract

In order to calculate optical properties i.e. dielectric function, refractive index and absorption coefficient, the evaluation of integration including ground and excited wavefunctions is required over entire k-space. The contour of energy dispersion was proposed to form the criteria to select and limit the value of k in the integration. With the contour approach the integration can be determined to truncate at certain k value where the weight factor of Fermi-Dirac distribution function become very small and the fraction of integration can be ignored. The approach was applied to AIGaAs/AlAs/GaAs double barrier quantum well structures with 14-band k.P Hamiltonian. By systematically modifing this quantum well structure the dependence of absorption peak width was investigated in bound-to-bound and bound-to-quasibound intersubband transitions. The energy dispersion contours of each involved state were illustrated in two dimensional k-space including the compositions in perpendicular and parallel directions to the interface. The calculated refractive index and absorption as a function of wavelength can be simply extracted from the contour characteristic especially at the constant Fermi energy surface.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

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