Interband mixing between two-dimensional states localized in a surface quantum well and heavy hole states of the valence band in narrow gap semiconductor

TL;DR

This paper uses Kane model calculations to analyze how interband mixing affects the energy spectrum and effective mass of two-dimensional carriers in narrow gap semiconductor quantum wells, highlighting effects of doping and concentration.

Contribution

It provides a theoretical analysis of interband mixing effects on 2D carrier energy levels and effective mass in narrow gap semiconductors, which was not previously detailed.

Findings

Interband mixing broadens and shifts 2D energy levels.

Mixing significantly influences the effective mass at high doping levels.

Subband distribution is only slightly affected across a wide concentration range.

Abstract

Theoretical calculations in the framework of Kane model have been carried out in order to elucidate the role of interband mixing in forming the energy spectrum of two-dimensional carriers, localized in a surface quantum well in narrow gap semiconductor. Of interest was the mixing between the 2D states and heavy hole states in the volume of semiconductor. It has been shown that the interband mixing results in two effects: the broadening of 2D energy levels and their shift, which are mostly pronounced for semiconductors with high doping level. The interband mixing has been found to influence mostly the effective mass of 2D carriers for large their concentration, whereas it slightly changes the subband distribution in a wide concentration range.