Electron-phonon interaction in quantum-dot/quantum-well semiconductor heterostructures

Polar optical phonons are studied in the framework of the dielectric continuum approach for a prototypical quantum-dot/quantum-well (QD/QW) heterostructure, including the derivation of the electron-phonon interaction Hamiltonian and a discussion of the effects of this interaction on the electronic energy levels. The particular example of the CdS/HgS QD/QW is addressed and the system is modelled according to the spherical geometry, considering a core sphere of material "1" surrounded by a spherically concentric layer of material "2", while the whole structure is embedded in a host matrix assumed as an infinite dielectric medium. The strength of the electron-LO phonon coupling is discussed in details and the polaronic corrections to both ground state and excited state electron energy levels are calculated. Interesting results concerning the dependence of polaronic corrections with the QD/QW structure size are analyzed.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figure

Plasma dispersion of multisubband electron systems over liquid helium

Density-density response functions are evaluated for nondegenerate multisubband electron systems in the random-phase approximation for arbitrary wave number and subband index. We consider both quasi-two-dimensional and quasi-one- dimensional systems for electrons confined to the surface of liquid helium. The dispersion relations of longitudinal intrasubband and transverse intersubband modes are calculated at low temperatures and for long wavelengths. We discuss the effects of screening and two-subband occupancy on the plasmon spectrum. The characteristic absorption edge of the intersubband modes is shifted relatively to the single-particle intersubband separation and the depolarization shift correction can be significant at high electron densities

Tamm-like states in finite antidot lattices

Transport properties of finite antidots arrays, with large lattice parameters and electron densities, may be roughly understood from a semiclassical approach. For weak magnetic fields, commensurability effects between the antidot spacing and the cyclotron radius are present with interference patterns superimposed on the magnetoresistivity. For higher magnetic fields, transport through edge states becomes relevant. In the present work, we discuss a completely different behavior that should occur in the quantum limit, for short lattice parameters and small electron densities. The key feature is the formation of surface Tamm-like states within the gap of the lowest bulk bands of a finite antidot lattice. The surface of a finite antidot superlattice may act as an isolated quantum ring, a coupler of the superlattice to the contacts, or a barrier between the bulk of the antidot lattice and the contacts, as a function solely of the applied magnetic field.643art. no.3531

Decay of excited surface electron states in liquid helium and related relaxation phenomena induced by short-wavelength ripplons

Decay rates of excited surface electron states on liquid helium are theoretically studied for different electron confinement potentials and in the presence of quantizing magnetic field. Contributions of both one-ripplon and two-ripplon scattering processes are analyzed. Regarding the decay rate of the first excited surface level (l=2), two-ripplon emission of short wave-length capillary waves is shown to dominate the conventional one-ripplon scattering in two distinct cases: the ambient temperature is low enough, or the surface state excitation energy Δ₂–Δ₁ does not match an excitation energy of the in-plane motion quantized under a strong magnetic field or in a quantum dot. In these cases, magnetic field and confinement cannot essentially reduce the decay rate which is of order of 10⁶ s⁻¹ and does not depend on temperature. Importance of these findings for a microwave resonance experiment is discussed

Infrared photocurrent with one- and two-photon absorptions in a double-barrier quantum well system

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)We present a theoretical investigation of a double-barrier quantum-well infrared photodetector (QWIP) having two-color selectivity. The quantum well is placed between a pair of potential barriers in order to increase selectivity through modulation of the continuum states. This also leads to a potential decrease in the dark current. Calculations are carried in the effective-mass approximation using a single-electron hamiltonian. The approach used to obtain the photocurrent yields the observation of single as well as many-photon transitions in a unified manner, by naturally accounting for real and virtual processes through intermediate states that take part in the generation of photocurrent. The two-color selectivity of the calculated photocurrent spectra comes from both one-and two-photon transitions. The performance of the system studied is compared to the results for the isolated quantum well and the advantages of the double barrier are pointed out. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3662867]11010DISSE-Instituto Nacional de Ciencia e Tecnologia de Nanodispositivos SemicondutoresConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Interface optical phonons in spheroidal dots: Raman selection rules

The contribution of interface phonons to the first order Raman scattering in nanocrystals with non spherical geometry is analyzed. Interface optical phonons in the spheroidal geometry are discussed and the corresponding Frohlich-like electron-phonon interaction is reported in the framework of the dielectric continuum approach. It is shown that the interface phonon modes are strongly dependent on the nanocrystal geometry, particularly on the ellipsoid's semi-axis ratio. The new Raman selection rules have revealed that solely interface phonon modes with even angular momentum are allowed to contribute to the first order phonon-assisted scattering of light. On this basis we are able to give an explanation for the observed low frequency shoulders present in the Raman cross-section of several II-VI semiconductor nanostructures.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Polaron effects in electron channels on a helium film

Using the Feynman path-integral formalism we study the polaron effects in quantum wires above a liquid helium film. The electron interacts with two-dimensional (2D) surface phonons, i.e. ripplons, and is confined in one dimension (1D) by an harmonic potential. The obtained results are valid for arbitrary temperature ($T$), electron-phonon coupling strength ($\alpha$), and lateral confinement ($\omega_{0}$). Analytical and numerical results are obtained for limiting cases of $T$, $\alpha$, and $\omega_{0}$. We found the surprising result that reducing the electron motion from 2D to quasi-1D makes the self-trapping transition more continuous.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Multiple-photon Peak Generation Near The 10 M Range In Quantum Dot Infrared Photodetectors

We present results from simulations of the photocurrent observed in recently fabricated InAs quantum dot infrared photodetectors that respond with strong resonance peaks in the ∼ 10 m wavelength range. The results are in good agreement with experimental data generated earlier. Multiphoton scattering of electrons localized in the quantum dots are not only in accordance with the observed patterns, but are also necessary to explain the photocurrent spectrum obtained in the calculations. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.1096Martyniuk, P., Rogalski, A., (2008) Prog. Quantum Electron., 32, p. 89. , For a recent review, see, 10.1016/j.pquantelec.2008.07.001Chakrabarti, S., Stiff-Roberts, A.D., Su, X.H., Bhattacharya, P., Ariyawansa, G., Perera, A.G.U., High-performance mid-infrared quantum dot infrared photodetectors (2005) Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 38 (13), pp. 2135-2141. , DOI 10.1088/0022-3727/38/13/009, PII S002237270592069XLim, H., Zhang, W., Tsao, S., Sills, T., Szafraniec, J., Mi, K., Movaghar, B., Razeghi, M., Quantum dot infrared photodetectors: Comparison of experiment and theory (2005) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 72 (8), p. 085332. , http://oai.aps.org/oai/?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix= oai_apsmeta_2&set=journal:PRB:72, DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.72.085332Razeghi, M., Lim, H., Tsao, S., Szafraniec, J., Zhang, W., Mi, K., Movaghar, B., Transport and photodetection in self-assembled semiconductor quantum dots (2005) Nanotechnology, 16 (2), pp. 219-229. , DOI 10.1088/0957-4484/16/2/007Pal, D., Towe, E., (2006) Appl. Phys. Lett., 88, p. 153109. , 10.1063/1.2193466Bhattacharya, P., Su, X.H., Chakrabarti, S., Ariyawansa, G., Perera, A.G.U., Characteristics of a tunneling quantum-dot infrared photodetector operating at room temperature (2005) Applied Physics Letters, 86 (19), pp. 1-3. , DOI 10.1063/1.1923766, 191106Dupont, E., Corkum, P., Liu, H.C., Wilson, P.H., Buchanan, M., Wasilewski, Z.R., (1994) Appl. Phys. Lett., 65, p. 1560. , 10.1063/1.113004Maier, T., Schneider, H., Walther, M., Koidl, P., Liu, H.C., (2004) Appl. Phys. Lett., 84, p. 5162. , 10.1063/1.1763978Jiang, J., Fu, Y., Li, N., Chen, X.S., Zhen, H.L., Lu, W., Wang, M.K., Li, Y.G., (2004) Appl. Phys. Lett., 85, p. 3614. , 10.1063/1.1781732Aivaliotis, P., Zibik, E.A., Wilson, L.R., Cockburn, J.W., Hopkinson, M., Vinh, N.Q., (2008) Appl. Phys. Lett., 92, p. 023501. , 10.1063/1.2833691Sirtori, C., Capasso, F., Sivco, D.L., Cho, A.Y., (1992) Appl. Phys. Lett., 60, p. 2678. , 10.1063/1.106893Souza, P.L., Lopes, A.J., Gebhard, T., Unterrainer, K., Pires, M.P., Villas-Boas, J.M., Vieira, G.S., Studart, N., Quantum dot structures grown on Al containing quaternary material for infrared photodetection beyond 10 μm (2007) Applied Physics Letters, 90 (17), p. 173510. , DOI 10.1063/1.2733603Gebhard, T., Alvarenga, D., Souza, P.L., Guimares, P.S.S., Unterrainer, K., Pires, M.P., Vieira, G.S., Villas-Boas, J.M., (2008) Applied Phys. Lett., 93, p. 052103. , 10.1063/1.2965804Pryor, C.E., Pistol, M.-E., Band-edge diagrams for strained III-V semiconductor quantum wells, wires, and dots (2005) Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, 72 (20), pp. 1-11. , http://oai.aps.org/oai/?verb=ListRecords&metadataPrefix= oai_apsmeta_2&set=journal:PRB:72, DOI 10.1103/PhysRevB.72.205311, 205311Degani, M.H., Maialle, M.Z., (2010) J. Comput. Theor. Nanosci., 7, p. 454. , 10.1166/jctn.2010.1380Feit, M.D., Fleck Jr., J.A., Steiger, A., (1982) J. Comput. Phys., 47, p. 412. , 10.1016/0021-9991(82)90091-2Degani, M.H., (1991) Appl. Phys. Lett., 59, p. 57(2002) Phys. Rev. B, 66, p. 23306. , 10.1063/1.105521Maialle, M.Z., Degani, M.H., Madureira, J.R., Farinas, P.F., (2009) J. Appl. Phys., 106, p. 123703. , 10.1063/1.3270263Fano, U., Cooper, J.W., (1968) Rev. Mod. Phys., 40, p. 441. , 10.1103/RevModPhys.40.441Tsolakidis, A., Snchez-Portal, D., Martin, R.M., (2002) Phys. Rev. B, 66, p. 235416. , 10.1103/PhysRevB.66.23541