Band-edge diagrams for strained III-V semiconductor quantum wells, wires, and dots

We have calculated band-edge energies for most combinations of zincblende AlN, GaN, InN, GaP, GaAs, InP, InAs, GaSb and InSb in which one material is strained to the other. Calculations were done for three different geometries, quantum wells, wires, and dots, and mean effective masses were computed in order to estimate confinement energies. For quantum wells, we have also calculated band-edges for ternary alloys. Energy gaps, including confinement, may be easily and accurately estimated using band energies and a simple effective mass approximation, yielding excellent agreement with experimental results. By calculating all material combinations we have identified novel and interesting material combinations, such as artificial donors, that have not been experimentally realized. The calculations were perfomed using strain-dependent k-dot-p theory and provide a comprehensive overview of band structures for strained heterostructures.Comment: 9 pages, 17 figure

Fabrication, optical characterization and modeling of strained core-shell nanowires

Strained nanowires with varying InAs/InP core-shell thicknesses were grown using Chemical Beam Epitaxy. Microphotoluminescence spectroscopy, performed at low temperature, was then used to study the optical properties of single wires. Emission from the InAs core was observed and its dependence on the shell thickness/core diameter ratio was investigated. We found that it is possible to tune the emission energy towards 0.8 eV by controlling this ratio. We have compared the measured energies with calculated energies. Our findings are consistent with the wires having a hexagonal crystal structure.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Atomically Controlled Surfaces, Interfaces and Nanostructures and the Thirteenth International Congress on Thin Films - ACSIN-8/ICTF-1

Electronic structure of strained InP/GaInP quantum dots

We calculate the electronic structure of nm scale InP islands embedded in $Ga_{0.51}In_{0.49}P$. The calculations are done in the envelope approximation and include the effects of strain, piezoelectric polarization, and mixing among 6 valence bands. The electrons are confined within the entire island, while the holes are confined to strain induced pockets. One pocket forms a ring at the bottom of the island near the substrate interface, while the other is above the island in the GaInP. The two sets of hole states are decoupled. Polarization dependent dipole matrix elements are calculated for both types of hole states.Comment: Typographical error corrected in strain Hamiltonia

Optimization of supply diversity for the self-assembly of simple objects in two and three dimensions

The field of algorithmic self-assembly is concerned with the design and analysis of self-assembly systems from a computational perspective, that is, from the perspective of mathematical problems whose study may give insight into the natural processes through which elementary objects self-assemble into more complex ones. One of the main problems of algorithmic self-assembly is the minimum tile set problem (MTSP), which asks for a collection of types of elementary objects (called tiles) to be found for the self-assembly of an object having a pre-established shape. Such a collection is to be as concise as possible, thus minimizing supply diversity, while satisfying a set of stringent constraints having to do with the termination and other properties of the self-assembly process from its tile types. We present a study of what we think is the first practical approach to MTSP. Our study starts with the introduction of an evolutionary heuristic to tackle MTSP and includes results from extensive experimentation with the heuristic on the self-assembly of simple objects in two and three dimensions. The heuristic we introduce combines classic elements from the field of evolutionary computation with a problem-specific variant of Pareto dominance into a multi-objective approach to MTSP.Comment: Minor typos correcte

Anomalous quantum confined Stark effects in stacked InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots

Vertically stacked and coupled InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (SADs) are predicted to exhibit a strong non-parabolic dependence of the interband transition energy on the electric field, which is not encountered in single SAD structures nor in other types of quantum structures. Our study based on an eight-band strain-dependent ${\bf k}\cdot{\bf p}$ Hamiltonian indicates that this anomalous quantum confined Stark effect is caused by the three-dimensional strain field distribution which influences drastically the hole states in the stacked SAD structures.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Optical properties and morphology of InAs ∕ InP (113)B surface quantum dots

We report on long-wavelength photoluminescence(PL) emission at room temperature from self-organized InAssurfacequantum dotsgrown by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy on a GaInAsP∕InP (113)B substrate. The influence of arsenic pressure conditions during growth on the PL emission of surfacequantum dots is detailed as well as oxide/contamination layer formation after growth. Experimental results are in good agreement with six-band k⋅p theory in the envelope function approximation.This work was supported by the SANDIE European Network of Excellence

Sub-microsecond correlations in photoluminescence from InAs quantum dots

Photon correlation measurements reveal memory effects in the optical emission of single InAs quantum dots with timescales from 10 to 800 ns. With above-band optical excitation, a long-timescale negative correlation (antibunching) is observed, while with quasi-resonant excitation, a positive correlation (blinking) is observed. A simple model based on long-lived charged states is presented that approximately explains the observed behavior, providing insight into the excitation process. Such memory effects can limit the internal efficiency of light emitters based on single quantum dots, and could also be problematic for proposed quantum-computation schemes.Comment: 8 pages, 8 figure

Unintentional high density p-type modulation doping of a GaAs/AlAs core-multi-shell nanowire

Achieving significant doping in GaAs/AlAs core/shell nanowires (NWs) is of considerable technological importance but remains a challenge due to the amphoteric behavior of the dopant atoms. Here we show that placing a narrow GaAs quantum well in the AlAs shell effectively getters residual carbon acceptors leading to an \emph{unintentional} p-type doping. Magneto-optical studies of such a GaAs/AlAs core multi-shell NW reveal quantum confined emission. Theoretical calculations of NW electronic structure confirm quantum confinement of carriers at the core/shell interface due to the presence of ionized carbon acceptors in the 1~nm GaAs layer in the shell. Micro-photoluminescence in high magnetic field shows a clear signature of avoided crossings of the $n=0$ Landau level emission line with the $n=2$ Landau level TO phonon replica. The coupling is caused by the resonant hole-phonon interaction, which points to a large 2D hole density in the structure.Comment: just published in Nano Letters (http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/nl500818k

Equilibrium shapes and energies of coherent strained InP islands

The equilibrium shapes and energies of coherent strained InP islands grown on GaP have been investigated with a hybrid approach that has been previously applied to InAs islands on GaAs. This combines calculations of the surface energies by density functional theory and the bulk deformation energies by continuum elasticity theory. The calculated equilibrium shapes for different chemical environments exhibit the {101}, {111}, {\=1\=1\=1} facets and a (001) top surface. They compare quite well with recent atomic-force microscopy data. Thus in the InP/GaInP-system a considerable equilibration of the individual islands with respect to their shapes can be achieved. We discuss the implications of our results for the Ostwald ripening of the coherent InP islands. In addition we compare strain fields in uncapped and capped islands.Comment: 10 pages including 6 figures. Submitted to Phys. Rev. B. Related publications can be found at http://www.fhi-berlin.mpg.de/th/paper.htm