Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures

A new and very general method was developed for calculating the charge and spin-resolved electron tunnelling in type-II heterojunctions. Starting from a multiband k.p description of the bulk energy-band structure, a multiband k.p Riccati equation was derived. The reflection and transmission coeffici...

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Main Author: A.E. Botha
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Academy of Science of South Africa 2009-07-01
Series:South African Journal of Science
Online Access:https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10290
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author A.E. Botha
author_facet A.E. Botha
author_sort A.E. Botha
collection DOAJ
description A new and very general method was developed for calculating the charge and spin-resolved electron tunnelling in type-II heterojunctions. Starting from a multiband k.p description of the bulk energy-band structure, a multiband k.p Riccati equation was derived. The reflection and transmission coefficients were obtained for each channel by integrating the Riccati equation over the entire heterostructure. Numerical instability was reduced through this method, in which the multichannel log-derivative of the envelope function matrix, rather than the envelope function itself, was propagated. As an example, a six-band k.p Hamiltonian was used to calculate the current-voltage characteristics of a 10-nm wide InAs/ GaSb/InAs single quantum well device which exhibited negative differential resistance at room temperature. The calculated current as a function of applied (bias) voltage was found to be in semiquantitative agreement with the experiment, a result which indicated that inelastic transport mechanisms do not contribute significantly to the valley currents measured in this particular device.
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spelling doaj-art-8938462138934fe4ba4e5696b60da06e2025-08-20T03:13:36ZengAcademy of Science of South AfricaSouth African Journal of Science1996-74892009-07-011057/82942948449Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructuresA.E. BothaA new and very general method was developed for calculating the charge and spin-resolved electron tunnelling in type-II heterojunctions. Starting from a multiband k.p description of the bulk energy-band structure, a multiband k.p Riccati equation was derived. The reflection and transmission coefficients were obtained for each channel by integrating the Riccati equation over the entire heterostructure. Numerical instability was reduced through this method, in which the multichannel log-derivative of the envelope function matrix, rather than the envelope function itself, was propagated. As an example, a six-band k.p Hamiltonian was used to calculate the current-voltage characteristics of a 10-nm wide InAs/ GaSb/InAs single quantum well device which exhibited negative differential resistance at room temperature. The calculated current as a function of applied (bias) voltage was found to be in semiquantitative agreement with the experiment, a result which indicated that inelastic transport mechanisms do not contribute significantly to the valley currents measured in this particular device.https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10290
spellingShingle A.E. Botha
Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
South African Journal of Science
title Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
title_full Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
title_fullStr Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
title_full_unstemmed Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
title_short Numerical solution of multiband k.p model for tunnelling in type-II heterostructures
title_sort numerical solution of multiband k p model for tunnelling in type ii heterostructures
url https://sajs.co.za/article/view/10290
work_keys_str_mv AT aebotha numericalsolutionofmultibandkpmodelfortunnellingintypeiiheterostructures