Strain-induced valence-subband splitting in III-V semiconductors

M. Silver, W. Batty, A. Ghiti, and E. P. O’Reilly
Phys. Rev. B 46, 6781 – Published 15 September 1992
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Abstract

A 〈001〉 axial strain introduces an additional term, known as the C4 matrix element, into the valence-band Hamiltonian of III-V semiconductors, proportional to the axial strain and to k, the wave-vector component perpendicular to the strain axis. This matrix element has been ignored in all previous valence-subband calculations. We use the empirical pseudopotential method and the tight-binding method to calculate the magnitude of C4 in the III-V and selected II-VI semiconductors. The calculated values are smaller than but comparable to the experimentally determined value in InSb. We then present envelope-function calculations which show how the C4 term may particularly affect the valence-subband structure of quantum wells under biaxial tension (e.g., Ga-rich InxGa1xAs on InP), splitting the degeneracy of the highest valence subband, and shifting the valence-band maximum from the Brillouin-zone center. The strain-induced band splittings are an order of magnitude larger than those in unstrained bulk material and may be measurable in wells with moderate strain (lattice mismatch ≊1%). Finally, we discuss the influence of the C4 term on optical, transport, and cyclotron-resonance data.

  • Received 26 February 1992

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.46.6781

©1992 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

M. Silver, W. Batty, A. Ghiti, and E. P. O’Reilly

  • University of Surrey, Guildford Surrey, GU2 5XH, England

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Issue

Vol. 46, Iss. 11 — 15 September 1992

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