Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
Using the effective mass model for an electron and the dielectric continuum model, analytical solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of equations are obtained. Quantum mechanical theory of electronic stationary states, the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions and a metho...
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irk-123456789-1574562019-06-21T01:29:04Z Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures Boyko, I.V. Using the effective mass model for an electron and the dielectric continuum model, analytical solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of equations are obtained. Quantum mechanical theory of electronic stationary states, the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions and a method of potential profile calculation is developed for the experimentally constructed three-well resonance-tunneling structure — a separate cascade of quantum cascade detector. For the proposed method, a comparison with the results of other methods and with the results of the experiment was carried out. A good agreement between the calculated value of the detected energy and its experimental value has been obtained, the difference being no more than 2.5%. Використовуючи модель ефективної маси для електрона та моделi дiелектричного континууму, отриманi аналiтичнi розв’язки самоузгодженої системи рiвнянь Шредiнгера-Пуассона. Для експериментально створеної триямної резонансно-тунельної структури — каскаду квантового каскадного детектора розроблена квантово-механiчна теорiя електронних стацiонарних станiв, сил осциляторiв квантових переходiв i метод розрахунку її потенцiального профiлю. Для запропонованого методу проведено порiвняння з результатами iнших методiв та результатами експерименту. Отримано добре узгодження мiж розрахованою величиною детектованої енергiї та її експериментальною величиною, якi вiдрiзняються не бiльш, нiж на 2.5%. 2018 Article Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures / I.V. Boyko // Condensed Matter Physics. — 2018. — Т. 21, № 4. — С. 43701: 1–12. — Бібліогр.: 31 назв. — англ. 1607-324X PACS: 73.21.Ac, 78.20.hb, 78.67.-n DOI:10.5488/CMP.21.43701 arXiv:1812.08544 http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/157456 en Condensed Matter Physics Інститут фізики конденсованих систем НАН України |
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Using the effective mass model for an electron and the dielectric continuum model, analytical solutions of the
self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of equations are obtained. Quantum mechanical theory of electronic stationary states, the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions and a method of potential profile calculation is developed for the experimentally constructed three-well resonance-tunneling structure — a separate
cascade of quantum cascade detector. For the proposed method, a comparison with the results of other methods and with the results of the experiment was carried out. A good agreement between the calculated value of
the detected energy and its experimental value has been obtained, the difference being no more than 2.5%. |
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Boyko, I.V. |
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Boyko, I.V. Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures Condensed Matter Physics |
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Boyko, I.V. |
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Boyko, I.V. |
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Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
title_short |
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
title_full |
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
title_fullStr |
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
title_full_unstemmed |
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
title_sort |
analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures |
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Інститут фізики конденсованих систем НАН України |
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2018 |
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http://dspace.nbuv.gov.ua/handle/123456789/157456 |
citation_txt |
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures / I.V. Boyko // Condensed Matter Physics. — 2018. — Т. 21, № 4. — С. 43701: 1–12. — Бібліогр.: 31 назв. — англ. |
series |
Condensed Matter Physics |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT boykoiv analyticalmethodforcalculationofthepotentialprofilesofnitridebasedresonancetunnelingstructures |
first_indexed |
2025-07-14T09:53:01Z |
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2025-07-14T09:53:01Z |
_version_ |
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fulltext |
Condensed Matter Physics, 2018, Vol. 21, No 4, 43701: 1–12
DOI: 10.5488/CMP.21.43701
http://www.icmp.lviv.ua/journal
Analytical method for calculation of the potential
profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling
structures
I.V. Boyko
Ternopil Ivan Puluj National Technical University, 56 Ruska St., 46001 Ternopil, Ukraine
Received May 8, 2018, in final form July 2, 2018
Using the effective mass model for an electron and the dielectric continuum model, analytical solutions of the
self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of equations are obtained. Quantum mechanical theory of elec-
tronic stationary states, the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions and a method of potential profile calcu-
lation is developed for the experimentally constructed three-well resonance-tunneling structure — a separate
cascade of quantum cascade detector. For the proposed method, a comparison with the results of other meth-
ods and with the results of the experiment was carried out. A good agreement between the calculated value of
the detected energy and its experimental value has been obtained, the difference being no more than 2.5%.
Key words: quantum cascade detector, piezoelectric polarization, spontaneous polarization, resonance
tunneling structure, oscillator strength
PACS: 73.21.Ac, 78.20.hb, 78.67.-n
1. Introduction
Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) [1, 2] and detectors (QCD) [3–8] created experimentally on the
basis of binary and ternary nitride alloys of InN, GaN, AlN, etc., are now of considerable practical and
theoretical interest. The physical properties of Group III-nitrides, their high temperature stability, large
bandgap, and significant optical activity in particular, allow nanodevices created on their basis to operate
efficiently in the actual infrared range of electromagnetic waves. Besides, an effective work of nitride
QCL and QCD is possible within the range from cryogenic to room temperatures, which is a significant
advantage in comparisonwith the nanodevices created on the basis of arsenide semiconductor compounds
of GaAs, InAs, AlAs, which, in fact, can work only at cryogenic temperatures.
The anisotropy of physical properties of nitride semiconductor materials is caused by strong in-
teratomic bonds and by the fact that their crystal lattice is of the wurtzite type hexagonal structure.
Spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization arising in the layers of nitride semiconductor nanosystems is
the result of uncompensated total dipole moment of crystal lattices and inconsistency of constant lattices
at medium interfaces. As a result, internal electric fields appear in the nitride multilayer nanostructures
causing a significant deformation of their potential profile.
The development of the consistent theory of electronic states and a general method for calculating
the potential profiles of plane nitride-based resonance tunneling structures (RTS) is still an unsolved
theoretical problem. The theory, which makes it possible to calculate the internal fields arising in the
nitride semiconductor nanosystems, was developed in the papers [9–17]. The application of this theory
to the plane multilayer RTS is not a difficult problem, though it is not sufficient for constructing a method
for calculating the RTS potential profiles, since it, for example, does not make it possible to take into
account the contribution of charge carriers to the value of the effective potential. Available methods for
the calculation of RTS potential profiles have significant shortcomings both in terms of the completeness
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License . Further distribution
of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI.
43701-1
https://doi.org/10.5488/CMP.21.43701
http://www.icmp.lviv.ua/journal
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
I.V. Boyko
of the description of the effective potential components and in terms of the theoretical approaches used.
One of the first methods was the one proposed in the paper [18]. Since it takes into account only the
contribution of internal electric fields in the effective potential for an electron, as it will be shown below,
it can be used only for the qualitative estimations. In addition, widely used is the method based on the
numerical solution of the Schrödinger and Poisson equations [19–21], as well as on the software [22]
which is often employed by experimenters for calculations [4, 6, 23, 24] based on the k · p method.
Generally, the disadvantages of most numerical methods for RTS potential profiles calculation include
the linearization of the Schrödinger and Poisson equations at the initial stage of their solution, as well
as the neglect of the influence of the boundary conditions for the wave function and the fluxes of its
probability. Besides, the application of such methods considerably complicates the possibility of a further
investigation of electronic transitions and electronic tunnel transport, electron-phonon interaction in such
RTS and other important theoretical problems.
In the presented paper, analytical solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of
equations are obtained. Using these solutions, the theory of stationary electronic states and oscillator
strengths of quantum electronic transitions is developed for the three-well cascade of an experimentally
realized QCD of near-infrared spectral region [5]. A method for calculating the potential RTS profile is
proposed. For the proposed method, the results are compared with the experimental results and with the
results obtained by other methods. By calculating the energy spectrum of the electron and the oscillator
strengths of quantum transitions, depending on the relative position of the active band and the extractor,
geometric configurations of the cascade ensuring its effective operation as an active element of QCD
were established.
2. Statement of the problem. Components of the effective potential of
nitride-based resonance tunneling structure
In the Cartesian coordinate system, the three-well RTS–the cascade of QCD which consists of an
active band and an extractor is considered (figure 1). The coordinate system is chosen in such a way that
its axis OZ is perpendicular to the separation boundaries of the nanosystem layers. In accordance with
the experimental work [5], it is assumed that the media (0) and (8), to the left and right of the RTS,
correspond to the unstressed AlN medium, medium (2) corresponds to the semiconductor material GaN,
media (4), (6) — Al0.25Ga0.75N semiconductor material, medium (1), (3), (5), (7) — AlN semiconductor
material.
Figure 1. Geometrical scheme of the nitride-based RTS. d1, d2, . . . , d7 are RTS layers thickness,
z0, z1, . . . , z7 are the boundary coordinates between these layers.
43701-2
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
Using the effective mass model and the dielectric continuum model, the effective electron mass and
dielectric permeability of the RTS can be written as:
m(z) = m0[θ(z − z1) + θ(z − z2)] + m1
θ(−z) + θ(z − z7) +
3∑
p=0
[
θ(z − z2p) − θ(z − z2p+1)
]
+ m2
3∑
p=2
[
θ(z − z2p−1) − θ(z − z2p)
]
, (2.1)
ε(z) = ε(0)
θ(−z) + θ(z − z7) +
3∑
p=0
[
θ(z − z2p) − θ(z − z2p+1)
] + ε(1)[θ(z − z1) + θ(z − z2)]
+ ε(2)
3∑
p=2
[
θ(z − z2p−1) − θ(z − z2p)
]
, (2.2)
where θ(z) is the Heaviside step function, m0 = m(2); m1 = m(0) = m(1) = m(3) = m(5) = m(7) = m(8);
m2 = m(4) = m(6) is the effective electron mass in the potential barriers and wells of the RTS, ε(0) = ε(0) =
ε(1) = ε(3) = ε(5) = ε(7) = ε(8); ε(1) = ε(2); ε(2) = ε(4) = ε(6) is dielectric permeability of nanostructure
material layers, respectively.
The magnitude of the macroscopic polarization P(p) that arises in an arbitrary p-th RTS layer is the
sum of spontaneous P(p)Sp and piezoelectric P(p)Pz polarizations calculated according to the general theory
[9–11]:
P(p) = P(p)Sp + P(p)Pz , (2.3)
where the corresponding polarization P(p)Pz(Sp) for a ternary semiconductor AxB1−xN, depending on the
concentration x of the component A, is determined in the linear approximation:
P(p)Pz(Sp)(x) = PAN (p)
Pz(Sp) (x) + (1 − x)PBN (p)
Pz(Sp) (x). (2.4)
The internal electric fields (Fp, p = 1, . . . , 7) are determined from the continuity condition of the
electrical displacement vector Dp = ε
(p)Fp + P(p) on all boundaries of the RTS layers [18, 25]:
Dp = Dp+1 , (2.5)
and also from the condition that is satisfied for the total value of the voltage applied to the RTS [11]:
7∑
p=1
Fpdp = 0. (2.6)
Having solved the system of equations (2.5) and (2.6), we obtain the expression for the electric field in
an arbitrary layer of the RTS [18]:
Fp =
7∑
k=1
(k,p)
[
P(k) − P(p)
] dk
ε(k)
/
ε(p)
7∑
k=1
dk
ε(k)
, (2.7)
dk is the thickness of the corresponding RTS layer.
According to the papers [19, 21, 25, 26], the effective potential of the RTS for an electron will be
determined as the sum of the components:
V(z) = ∆EC(z) + VE(z) + VH(z) + VHL(z). (2.8)
43701-3
I.V. Boyko
In the expression (2.8):
∆EC(z) =
0.765[Eg(AlN) − Eg(GaN)], z < 0, 0 6 z < z1 , z2 6 z < z3 ,
z4 6 z < z5 , z6 6 z < z7 , z > z7 ,
0, z1 6 z < z2 ,
0.765[Eg(Al0.25Ga0.75N) − Eg(GaN)], z1 6 z < z2
(2.9)
is the potential RTS profile for an electron, the calculation of which was performed without taking into
account the electric field of the piezoelectric and spontaneous polarizations. The dependence of the
bandgap of the AlxGa1−xN semiconductor on temperature T in expression (2.9) is calculated from the
Varshni linear-quadratic relation [27]:
Eg(x,T) = Eg(x, 0) −
a(x)T2
b(x) + T
, (2.10)
where the bandgap at zero temperature, depending on the magnitude x, can be represented as:
Eg(x, 0) = xEg(AlN) + (1 − x)Eg(GaN) + αx(1 − x). (2.11)
In the expression (2.11): Eg(AlN) = 6.25 eV, Eg(GaN) = 3.51 eV is the bandgap of AlN and GaN
semiconductor correspondingly, α = 0.7 eV is a bowing parameter for Group III-nitrides [27], a(x) =
[1.799x + 0.909(1 − x)] · 10−3 (eV/K), b(x) = 1462x + 830(1 − x) (K) are the Varshni parameters [27].
The componentVE(z) of the effective potential — the potential energy characterizing the contribution
of the electron interaction with the internal fields (Fp, p = 1, . . . , 7) of spontaneous and piezoelectric
polarizations arising in the RTS, is determined by the expression:
VE(z) = e
7∑
p=1
(−1)p−1(Fpz − Fp−1zp−1)
[
θ(z − zp−1) − θ(z − zp)
]
, F0 = 0. (2.12)
The potential VH(z) is determined by the contribution of charge carriers within the RTS, and its
immediate calculation will be carried out further.
Component:
VHL(z) = −
1
4π
(
9
4π2
)1/3 [
1 +
0.6213rs
21
ln
(
1 +
21
rs(z)
)]
e2
ε0rs(z)ε(z)a∗B(z)
(2.13)
is the Hedin-Lundquist exchange-correlation potential [26, 28], where rs(z) = [4πa∗3B n(z)/3]−1/3 is the
dimensionless function, a∗B(z) = aBε(z)/m(z), aB is the Bohr radius, n(z) is the concentration of carriers
forming a static space charge.
3. Method for determination of the solutions of the self-consistent
Schrödinger and Poisson equations system
The stationary spectrum of the electron and its wave functions Ψ(z) are determined by solutions of
the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson system of equations:
−
~2
2
d
dz
[
1
m(z)
dΨ(z)
dz
]
+ V(z)Ψ(z) = EΨ(z),
d
dz
[
ε(z)
dVH(z)
dz
]
= −eρ(z),
(3.1)
ρ(z) is the total charge density at an arbitrary point z inside the RTS.
The method of the self-consistent system solutions determination (3.1) is as follows. At first, keeping
in the effective potential the most significant terms ∆EC(z) and VE(z), the solutions of the Schrödinger
43701-4
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
equation must be found. The solutions of the Schrödinger equation are determinated in every RTS region.
Therefore, the wave function that takes into account its finiteness, can be presented as follows:
Ψ0(z) = Ψ
(0)
0 (z)θ(−z) + Ψ(8)0 (z)θ(z − z7) +
7∑
p=1
Ψ
(p)
0 (z)
[
θ(z − zp−1) − θ(z − zp)
]
= A(0)0 e χ
(0)zθ(−z) +
7∑
p=1
[
A(p)0 Ai(ζ (p)(z)) + B(p)0 Bi(ζ (p)(z))
] [
θ(z − zp−1) − θ(z − zp)
]
+ B(8)0 e−χ
(8)zθ(z − z7), (3.2)
where A(0)0 , B(8)0 are the coefficients in the solutions of the Schrödinger equation to the left and to the
right of the RTS, respectively, and A(p)0 , B(p)0 are inside the RTS, Ai(ζ), Bi(ζ) are the Airy functions,
ζ (p)(z) =
[
2m(p)eFp/~
2
]1/3 {
[∆EC(z) − E]/eFp − z
}
, χ(0) = χ(8) = ~−1
√
2m0(U − E), (3.3)
U = 0.765[Eg(AlN) − Eg(GaN)]. (3.4)
The lower index in the coefficients A(0)0 , B(8)0 , A(p)0 , B(p)0 corresponds to the order of approximation.
From the continuity condition of the wave function and the fluxes of its probability density on all
boundaries of the nanosystem:
Ψ
(p)(zp) = Ψ(p+1)(zp);
dΨ(p)(z)
m(z)dz
����
z=zp−ε
=
dΨ(p+1)(z)
m(z)dz
����
z=zp+ε
, (3.5)
a dispersion equation from which the energy spectrum of the electrons (En) is obtained as well as
all coefficients A(0)0 , B(8)0 , A(p)0 , B(p)0 expressed through one of them are found. The last coefficient is
determined from the condition of the wave function normalization
+∞∫
−∞
Ψ
∗
n(En, z)Ψn(En, z)dz = 1, (3.6)
which uniquely determines the wave functions of all the stationary states of the electron. The charge
density within the RTS is found as follows:
ρ(z) = e[N+D − n(z)] +
7∑
p=1
σpδ(z − zp), (3.7)
where the concentration of ionized donor impurities is given by
N+D =
ND
1 + g exp
(
EF−En
kBT
) , (3.8)
where ND is the concentration of donor impurities, g = 2 is the degeneracy factor,
n(z) = n0(z)
∑
n
|Ψ(En, z)|2 ln
����1 + exp
(
EF − En
kBT
)���� , n0(z) =
m(z)kBT
π~2 (3.9)
is the electron concentration in the nanostructure,
σp = P(p+1) − P(p) (3.10)
43701-5
I.V. Boyko
is the surface density of the charge carriers arising at the boundaries of the RTS layers due to different
values of the total polarization. Now, in the region of an arbitrary layer of the RTS, the Poisson equation
can be written as follows:
d2V (p)H (z)
dz2 = −
e
ε(p)
{
e
[
N+D −
m(p)kBT
π~2
∑
n
|Ψ(En, z)|2 ln
����1 + exp
(
EF − En
kBT
)����] + σpδ(z − zp)
}
(3.11)
and its exact analytic solution that takes into account the fact that for stationary electronic statesΨ(En, z) =
Ψ∗(En, z) is given by
V (p)H (z) = −
e
ε(p)
z∫
0
x1∫
0
{
e
[
N+D −
kBT
π~2
∑
n
|Ψ(En, x2)|
2 ln
����1 + exp
(
EF − En
kBT
)����] + σpδ(x2 − zp)
}
dx1dx2
= −
e
ε(p)
[
eN+D
2
(z − zp−1)
2 + (z − zp)σpθ(z − zp)
]
+
1
3π
[
em(p)
4~4F2
p
]1/3
kBT
ε(p)
∑
n
ln
����1 + exp
(
EF − En
kBT
)���� ( {
2[A(p)0 ]
2 [ζ (p)(z)]2 Ai2(ζ (p)(z))
−Ai(ζ (p)(z))Ai′(ζ (p)(z)) − 2ζ (p)(z)Ai′2(ζ (p)(z))
}
+
{
2[B(p)0 ]
2[ζ (p)(z)]2 Bi2(ζ (p)(z))
−Bi(ζ (p)(z))Bi′(ζ (p)(z)) − 2ζ (p)(z)Bi′2(ζ (p)(z))
}
+
{
A(p)0 B(p)0 Ai(ζ (p)(z))
×
{
4[ζ (p)(z)]2 Bi(ζ (p)(z)) −Bi′(ζ (p)(z))
}
+ Ai′(ζ (p)(z))
[
Bi(ζ (p)(z)) + 4ζ (p)(z)Bi′(ζ (p)(z))
]} )
+ C(p)1 (z − zp−1) + C(p)2 . (3.12)
The coefficients C(p)1 , C(p)2 are uniquely determined from the boundary conditions of the continuity
of the potential VH(z) and from the corresponding electric displacement vector at all the RTS boundaries:
V (p)H (zp) = V (p+1)
H (zp); ε(p)
dV (p)H (z)
dz
�����
z=zp−ε
− ε(p+1) dV (p+1)
H (z)
dz
�����
z=zp+ε
= −σ(zp);
ε → +0; p = 0, . . . , 7 (3.13)
as well as from the conditions for the disappearance of potential VH(z) outside the RTS:
VH(z)|z→0 → 0; VH(z)|z→z7 → 0. (3.14)
Then, the potential VH(z) can be presented as:
VH(z) =
7∑
p=1
V (p)H (z)
[
θ(z − zp−1) − θ(z − zp)
]
. (3.15)
Further, for the total effective RTS potential Ueff(z) = V(z), calculated according to relations (2.8),
(2.9), (2.12), (2.13), (3.12), its linearization is performed. Then, the approximated effective potential of
the RTS for an electron looks as follows:
Ũeff(z) =
7∑
p=1
N∑
l=0
eF(zpl )z
[
θ(z − zpl ) − θ(z − zpl+1)
]
, (3.16)
where
F(zpl ) =
V(zpl+1) − V(zpl )
e(zpl+1 − zpl )
(3.17)
43701-6
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
is the effective value of the internal electric field magnitude in the RTS,
zpl =
l
2N
(zp − zp−1), p = 1, . . . , 7, z10 = 0, (3.18)
N is the number of partitions in the p-th nanosystem layer.
Having substituted the effective potential of the RTS in the form (3.16) into the Schrödinger equation
in the system (3.1), taking into account (3.17) and (3.18), we obtain its solution
Ψ0(z) = A(0)1 e χ
(0)zθ(−z) + B(8)1 e−χ
(8)zθ(z − z7)
+
7∑
p=1
N∑
l=0
[
A(pl )1 Ai(ζ (pl )(z)) + B(pl )1 Bi(ζ (pl )(z))
] [
θ(z − zpl ) − θ(z − zpl+1)
]
, (3.19)
where
ζ (pl )(z) =
[
2m(pl )eF(zpl )/~
2
]1/3 {
[∆EC(z) − E]/eF(zpl ) − z
}
, (3.20)
m(pl ) =
m0 , z1 6 z < z2;
m1 , z < 0, 0 6 z < z1 , z2 6 z < z3 , z4 6 z < z5 , z6 6 z < z7 , z > z7;
m2 , z3 6 z < z4 , z5 6 z < z6.
(3.21)
By substituting the relation (3.19), an expression for the component of effective potential, calculated
in the first iteration order, is given by
VH(z) =
7∑
p=1
N∑
l=0
V (pl )H (z)
[
θ(z − zpl ) − θ(z − zpl+1)
]
, (3.22)
where the expression for V (pl )H (z) is obtained from the formula (3.12) by replacing the index (p → pl)
and the coefficients (A(p)0 → A(pl )1 ; B(p)0 → B(pl )1 ),
σpl =
{
σp , zpl = zp ,
0, zpl , zp .
The coefficients A(1)1 , B(8)1 , A(pl )1 , B(pl )1 are determined from boundary conditions similar to the
conditions (3.5) and the normalization condition (3.6), and the coefficientsC(pl )1 ,C(pl )2 —from conditions
similar to the boundary conditions (3.13).
The iterative procedure described makes it possible to establish the self-consistent solutions of the
Schrödinger and Poisson system of equations, as well as all the components of the effective potential of
the RTS for an electron with the required accuracy, which is presented by the obvious relation:
δ =
|nν+1(z) − nν(z)|
nν(z)
, (3.23)
ν is number of approximation (iteration).
The wave function defined in an arbitrary order of iterations [Ψ(E, z) = Ψ(ν)(E, z)] makes it possible
to calculate the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions within the formula
fn,n′ =
2(En − En′)
~2
N∑
p=1
mp
�������
zp∫
zp−1
zΨ∗(p)n (En, z)Ψ
(p)
n′ (En′, z)dz
�������
2
. (3.24)
43701-7
I.V. Boyko
3.1. Discussion of the results
The calculation of thewave functionsΨn(En, z) and the energy spectrumEn of the stationary electronic
states localized in the RTS, the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions fn,n′ , and the effective potential
of the RTS V(z) were performed using the theory mentioned above.
Immediate numerical calculations were performed for the three-well RTS, i.e., the cascade of the
experimentally realized QCD [5]. The following geometric parameters of nanosystem were chosen:
thickness of potential barriers ∆1 = ∆2 = ∆3 = ∆4 = 1.04 nm, width of potential wells d1 = 1.56 nm,
d2 = 1.04 nm, d3 = 1.04 nm. The physical parameters of the RTS were taken from the papers [27, 29].
All calculations have been performed at temperature 300 K.
The convergence of the iterative procedure for finding solutions of the system of the Schrödinger and
Poisson equations, whose accuracy of computation is described by the expression (3.23), is presented in
figure 2, which shows the dependence of the logarithms of the accuracy of calculations δ on the number
of iterations ν. As it can be seen from the figure, the accuracy of calculations assumed in the presented
paper is δ = 10−6 is achieved by 23–25 iterations. Further iterations result in the output of the accuracy
of the calculations on the saturation, which testifies the convergence of the iterative procedure of the
proposed method.
Figure 3 shows the energy scheme of the separate cascade of QCD, the calculation of the potential
profile of which, depending on the magnitude, was performed according to the theory developed in the
previous section according to the relations (2.9)–(2.13), (3.22). The square moduli of wave functions
|Ψn(En, z)|2 for stationary electronic states localized in the RTS are also shown in the figure. It can
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
-6
-5
-4
-3
-2
-1
0
lg
Iteration number,
Figure 2. Dependence of calculation accuracy δ on the number of iterations ν.
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
5
4
3
1
2
V
(
m
eV
)
z (nm)
Figure 3. (Colour online) Potential profile of RTS and squaremoduli of the stationary stateswave functions
localized in the nanostructure. n = 1, 2, . . . , 5 are numbers of the corresponding energy levels.
43701-8
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
-1000
-500
0
500
1000
1500
2000
(I)
(II)
(III)
V
(m
eV
)
z (nm)
a
1,0 1,2 1,4 1,6 1,8 2,0 2,2 2,4 2,6
-1000
-800
-600
-400
-200
0
200
(I)
(II)
(III)
V
(m
eV
)
z (nm)
b
Figure 4. (Colour online) The dependence V = V(z) of the effective potential RTS calculated in three
models (a) and detailing this dependence for the potential well of the active band (b).
be seen from the figure that the detector electronic transition is realized between the first and the third
electronic states localized in the quantum well of the cascade active band.
In order to testify the effectiveness of the proposed method and to compare it with the results obtained
by other methods, calculations of the potential RTS profile (figure 4) were performed using the proposed
method (I — continuous line), using the method developed in [25] (II — short dashed line), and on the
basis of the theory developed in [18] (III— dashed line). It can be seen from figure 4 that the dependences
V = V(z) obtained by all three methods are qualitatively identical. The dependences obtained by the
methods (I) and (II) are very similar, and in dependence (III), the depths of potential wells and the height
of potential barriers are larger than in dependences (I) and (II). This is due to the fact that in the theory
developed in [18], only the contribution of internal fields arising in the nanosystem to the value of the
effective potential is taken into account, which is determined from the expression (2.7). Calculated in
all three approaches, the values of the energies of electronic stationary states localized in the active
zone of the cascade between which the detector transition occurs are as follows: E (I)1 = 43.9 meV,
E (I)3 = 826.4 meV, E (II)1 = 41.4 meV, E (II)3 = 825.1 meV, E (III)1 = −104.8 meV, E (III)3 = 802.2 meV.
The value of the detected energy in the transition 1 → 3 calculated on the basis of the developed
theory Ω(I)13 = 782.5 meV, correlates well with the result obtained on the basis of the method (II) [25]
Ω
(II)
13 = 783.7 meV and the experimental resultΩ(exp) = 800.0 meV, the difference being 2.5%. The result
on the basis of the theory of paper [18] gives the value of the transition energy Ω(III)13 = 907.0 meV.
Besides, the values of the energies of the stationary electronic states are much smaller. Therefore, the
application of such a theory is possible only for rough estimations.
An effective operation of the QCD is possible if the intensity of quantum transitions between the
electronic states localized in the active zone of the cascade is the greatest. In this case, it is a transition
1 → 3 with energy Ω13 = E3 − E1. This means that, for a given geometric configuration of the studied
RTS, the calculated oscillator strength of the quantum transitions between these states f13 should be
greater by an order of magnitude than the oscillator strengths for transitions from the first to the rest of
the electronic states [30, 31], that is:
f13 > f1n′ , n′ = 2, . . . , 5, n′ , 3 (3.25)
as well as should exceed their sum:
f13 >
5∑
n′=1
f1n′ , n′ , 3, (3.26)
where the condition (3.26) provides the detector reliable operation, at which the detection of other
frequencies is excluded, which could result in QCD operating state failure.
43701-9
I.V. Boyko
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5
-300
0
300
600
900
1200
1500
1800
2100
E
5
E
4
E
3
E
2
E
1
d
exp
E
n
(
m
e
V
)
d (nm)
=E
31
a
(II)(I)
0,0 0,5 1,0 1,5 2,0 2,5
0,0
0,2
0,4
0,6
0,8
1,0
f15
f14
f13f12
(II)
d
exp
12
13
14
15
d (nm)
f nn
/
(I)
b
Figure 5. (Colour online) Dependences of the energies of the stationary electronic states (En, n =
1, 2, . . . , 5) (a) and the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions from the first stationary state to the
remaining electronic states ( fnn′) (b), calculated depending on the magnitude of d = d1 + d3.
In order to identify optimal configurations of the RTS [for which condition (3.25) is satisfied],
calculations of the stationary electron spectrum En and the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions
fnn′ were performed as a function of the position d (0 6 d 6 d1 + d3) of the inner two-barrier structure
[regions (3)–(5) in figure 1] relatively to the input [region (1)] and to the output [region (7)] of the cascade
barriers with the unchanged remaining geometric parameters of the nanostructure. The results of these
calculations are shown in figure 5 (a), (b).
It is seen from figure 5 (a) that the dependence En = En(d) depends directly on n, and hence on
the localization of the corresponding stationary electronic state. For example, the dependencies E1(d)
and E3(d) whose states are localized in the input potential well (figure 3), form one and two maxima,
respectively. Similarly, in dependencies E4(d) and E5(d), whose states are localized in the output potential
well, three and four maxima are formed, respectively. It should be noted that E2(d) weakly depends on
d, since this state is localized in the internal potential well of the RTS.
As it can be seen from figure 5 (b), in the dependence fnn′ = fnn′(d), two intervals are formed, for
which the magnitude of the oscillator strength f13 is dominated by the remaining values of the calculated
oscillator strengths. Condition (3.25) is satisfied for the first interval (I) (0.65 nm 6 d 6 0.91 nm), but
condition (3.26) is not fulfilled, since f (I)13 ≈ f (I)12 + f (I)14 + f (I)15 . Therefore, for the considered geometric
configuration of the cascade, the operation of the QCD will not be effective. For the second interval
(II) (1.38 nm 6 d 6 1.69 nm), which contains an experimentally realized configuration dexp = 1.56 nm,
both conditions (3.25) and (3.26) are satisfied, and condition (3.25) is fulfilled more strictly: f (II)13 �
f (II)12 , f (II)14 , f (II)15 . That is, for the geometric configuration dexp, we have: f (exp)
13 = 0.782; f (exp)
12 = 0.098;
f (exp)
14 = 0.024; f (exp)
15 = 0.096. As it can be seen from figure 5 (a), for the geometrical configuration
found, the possibility of effective quantum detecting transitions with energies close to the experimentally
obtained result 800 meV is realised.
43701-10
Analytical method for calculation of the potential profiles of nitride-based resonance tunneling structures
Having summarised the obtained results, it can be concluded that the developed theory makes it
possible to efficiently calculate the potential profiles of the nitride-based resonance-tunnel structures and
to establish, using the proposed criteria, their geometric configurations providing an effective detection
of the electromagnetic waves during operation of these nanosystems as active elements of the QCD.
3.2. Conclusions
1. The theory of stationary electronic states and the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions
is developed on the basis of the found analytical solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger-Poisson
system of equations for three-well nitride RTS.
2. Using the developed theory, an analytical method for calculation of the nitride RTS potential
profiles is proposed.
3.Direct calculations of the electron energy spectrum, of the oscillator strengths of quantum transitions
and of the potential profile for the experimentally realized RTS, which functioned as an active element of
QCD have been performed. Good reliability of the proposed theory in comparison with both numerical
simulation results and experimental results is established.
Acknowledgements
The author is sincerely grateful and extends appreciation to the Head of the Chair of Theoretical
Physics and ComputerModelling of Yu. Fed’kovychNational University of Chernivtsi, Dr. Sci., Professor
M.V. Tkach for his detailed comments on the obtained results and the content of the presented paper.
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Аналiтичний метод розрахунку потенцiальних профiлiв
нiтридних резонансно-тунельних структур
I.В. Бойко
Тернопiльський нацiональний технiчний унiверситет iменi Iвана Пулюя,
вул. Руська, 56, 46001 Тернопiль, Україна
Використовуючи модель ефективної маси для електрона та моделi дiелектричного континууму, отрима-
нi аналiтичнi розв’язки самоузгодженої системи рiвнянь Шредiнгера-Пуассона. Для експериментально
створеної триямної резонансно-тунельної структури— каскаду квантового каскадного детектора розро-
блена квантово-механiчна теорiя електронних стацiонарних станiв, сил осциляторiв квантових перехо-
дiв i метод розрахунку її потенцiального профiлю. Для запропонованого методу проведено порiвняння
з результатами iнших методiв та результатами експерименту. Отримано добре узгодження мiж розрахо-
ваною величиною детектованої енергiї та її експериментальною величиною, якi вiдрiзняються не бiльш,
нiж на 2.5%.
Ключовi слова: квантовий каскадний детектор, п’єзоелектрична поляризацiя, спонтанна поляризацiя,
резонансно-тунельна структура, сила осцилятора
43701-12
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.64.045208
https://doi.org/10.1088/0953-8984/14/13/302
https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.64.085207
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1601686
https://doi.org/10.1116/1.1805543
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spmi.2012.06.013
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10825-016-0911-5
http://www.nextnano.de
https://doi.org/10.1002/pssc.200880772
https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.22.021069
https://doi.org/10.30970/jps.22.1701
https://doi.org/10.1002/9783527610723
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88847-5
https://doi.org/10.1088/0022-3719/4/14/022
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3003507
https://doi.org/10.5488/CMP.16.33701
Introduction
Statement of the problem. Components of the effective potential of nitride-based resonance tunneling structure
Method for determination of the solutions of the self-consistent Schrödinger and Poisson equations system
Discussion of the results
Conclusions
Acknowledgements
|