Intrinsic interface states in InAs-AlSb heterostructures

TL;DR

This paper investigates the existence of intrinsic interface states at InAs/AlSb heterostructures, using tight-binding models to analyze band offsets and interface state binding.

Contribution

It provides a detailed tight-binding analysis predicting a heavy-hole like interface state at InAs/AlSb interfaces across various band offset values.

Findings

Intrinsic interface state exists at InAs/AlSb interfaces.

The state is heavy-hole like and bound to In-Sb bonds.

The state persists over a wide range of band offsets.

Abstract

We examine the possibility of intrinsic interface states bound to the plane of In-Sb chemical bonds at InAs/AlSb interfaces. Careful parameterization of the bulk materials in the frame of the extended basis spds^* tight-binding model and recent progress in predictions of band offsets severely limit the span of tight-binding parameters describing this system. We find that a heavy-hole like interface state bound to the plane of In-Sb bonds exists for a large range of values of the InSb/InAs band offset.