Quantum Wells, Wires and Dots: Theoretical and Computational Physics

This book is aimed at providing all of the essential information, both theoretical and computational, in order that the reader can, starting from essentially nothing, understand how the electronic, optical and transport properties of semiconductor heterostructures are calculated. However, perhaps more importantly, starting from this low common denominator, this text is designed to lead the reader through a series of simple example theoretical and computational implementations, and slowly build from solid foundations, to a level where the reader can begin to initiate theoretical investigations or explanations of their own.

The author believes that there are two aspects to theoretical work, with the first being to analyse and interpret experimental data, while the second is to advance new ideas. His hope is that this book will certainly facilitate the former and will at least provide the knowledge and skills base from which quantified predictions can be developed from the beginnings of an idea. Written in the style of a mathematics course text, it is hoped that this book will appeal to readers from within as well as outside the low dimensional semiconductor community. Some of the examples developed are relevant to the semiconductor community at large, while the microscopic calculations presented could be of interest to other areas of condensed matter, such as carbon nanostructures, high-temperature superconductors, etc.

New material in this second edition includes:

• sections on effects of magnetic fields on quantum wells

• excited impurity levels

• screening of the optical phonon interaction

• acoustic and optical deformation potential scattering

• spin-orbit coupling in the pseudopotential calculation and

• New chapters on strained quantum wells and k.p theory.

Aimed at postgraduate students of semiconductor and condensed matter physics, the book will be invaluable to all those researching in academic and industrial laboratories worldwide.

Paul Harrison is currently working in the Institute of Microwaves and Photonics (IMP), which is a research institute within the school of Electronic and Electrical Engineering t the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He can always be found on the web, at the time of writing, at: http://www.ee.leeds.ac.uk/homes/ph/ and always answers e-mail. Currently he can be reached at: [email protected] or [email protected]

Paul is working on a wide variety of Projects, most of which centre around exploiting quantum mechanics for the creation of novel opto-electronic devices, largely, but not exclusively, in semiconductor Quantum Wells, Wires and Dots. Up to date information can be found on his web page. He is always looking for exceptionally well qualified and motivated students to study for a PhD degree with him-if interested, please don't hesitate to contact him.

Zoran Ikonic was a Professor at the University of Belgrade and is now also a researcher in the IMP. His research interest and experience include the full width of semiconductor physics and optoelectronic devices, in particular, band structure calculations, strain-layered systems, carrier scattering theory, non-linear optics, as well as conventional and quantum mechanical methods for device optimisation.

Vladimir Jovanovic is just completing his PhD at the IMP on physical models of quantum well infrared photodetectors and quantum cascade lasers in GaN- and GaAs-based materials for near-, mid- and far-infrared (Terahertz) applications.