Theory of Semiconductor Quantum Devices (eBook)

Microscopic Modeling and Simulation Strategies

Fausto Rossi (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2011 | 2011
XIV, 382 Seiten
Springer Berlin (Verlag)
978-3-642-10556-2 (ISBN)

Infos

Primary goal of this book is to provide a cohesive description of the vast field of semiconductor quantum devices, with special emphasis on basic quantum-mechanical phenomena governing the electro-optical response of new-generation nanomaterials. The book will cover within a common language different types of optoelectronic nanodevices, including quantum-cascade laser sources and detectors, few-electron/exciton quantum devices, and semiconductor-based quantum logic gates. The distinguishing feature of the present volume is a unified microscopic treatment of quantum-transport and coherent-optics phenomena on ultrasmall space- and time-scales, as well as of their semiclassical counterparts.

Fausto Rossi was born in Carpi (Italy) on 12/05/1962. Education: Laurea in Physics in 1988 at the University of Modena (110/110 cum Laude) and Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Parma in 1993. Present appointment: Full Professor of Matter Physics at the Polytechnic University of Torino.

Prof. Rossi has published more than 200 research articles on international journals and books; he has been an invited lecturer at over 80 international conferences, workshops and schools.

He has served as member of the Editorial Board of the Institute of Physics (IOP) and he is currently member of the International Semiconductor Commission (C8) of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP).

His research activity includes: Theoretical investigation of ultrafast processes in bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors. Analysis of quantum-transport phenomena in the high-field regime. Study of the linear and non-linear optical response of quantum-wires and dots in the presence of Coulomb-correlation effects. Analysis of few-electron phenomena in artificial macroatoms. Microscopic modelling of state-of-the-art optoelectronic quantum devices, like quantum-cascade lasers. Implementation of quantum information processing with semiconductor nanostructures. Broad experience in the formal theory of stochastic simulations.

Inhalt

NANOSCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 1
Preface 6
Contents 9
1 Fundamentals of Semiconductor Materials and Devices 13
1.1 An Introductory Overview on Semiconductor Physics and Technology 13
1.2 Bulk Materials and Nanostructures 20
1.2.1 Ground State and Excitation Spectra of a Semiconductor Crystal 20
1.2.2 Low-Dimensional Heterostructures 33
1.3 The Semiclassical or Boltzmann Picture 56
1.3.1 The Boltzmann Equation 56
1.3.2 Application to Electron Dynamics in Semiconductors 57
1.3.3 Generalization to Low-Dimensional Nanostructures 59
1.4 From Materials to Devices: ``Closed'' Versus ``Open'' Systems 60
2 Ultrashort Space- and Time-Scales: Need for a Quantum Description 64
2.1 Intrinsic Limitations of the Semiclassical Picture 64
2.2 Semiclassical Versus Quantum Treatments 67
2.3 Space-Dependent Phenomena 85
2.4 Quantum Systems with Spatial Boundaries 88
2.5 Experimental Techniques 88
2.6 The Wide Family of Quantum Devices 96
Part I Microscopic Description and Simulation Techniques 98
3 The Density-Matrix Approach 99
3.1 Physical System and Liouville--von Neumann Equation 101
3.2 The Interaction Picture 103
3.3 Three-Key Approximation Levels 104
3.3.1 The Adiabatic or Markov Limit 104
3.3.2 The Reduced or Electronic Description 112
3.3.3 The Single-Particle Picture 120
3.4 Need for a Gauge-Invariant Formulation of the Problem 129
3.5 Alternative Formulation of the Markov Limit: The ``Quantum Fermi's Golden Rule'' 134
4 Generalization to Systems with Open Boundaries 141
4.1 Semiconductor Bloch Equations for Open Systems 141
4.2 Failure of the Conventional Wigner-Function Formalism 152
4.3 Alternative Treatments Based on Fully Quantum-Mechanical Projection Techniques 160
4.4 A Simple Kinetic Model Based on a Closed-System Paradigm 167
5 Simulation Strategies 177
5.1 Direct or Deterministic Integration Techniques 178
5.1.1 The Finite-Element/Finite-Difference Method 179
5.1.2 The Plane-Wave Expansion 181
5.1.3 The Time-Step Integration 187
5.2 Monte Carlo or Stochastic Sampling 187
5.2.1 Two Different Points of View About Monte Carlo 188
5.2.2 A Bit of Probability Theory 189
5.2.3 Monte Carlo Sampling of Sums and Integrals 193
5.2.4 Direct Monte Carlo Simulation of Stochastic Processes 210
5.2.5 Sampling of Differential Equations: The Weighted Monte Carlo Method 215
5.3 Proper Combinations of Direct and Monte Carlo Schemes 219
Part II State-of-the-Art Unipolar Quantum Devices: General Properties and Key Examples 222
6 Modeling of Unipolar Semiconductor Nanodevices 223
6.1 Vertical Transport in the Low-Field Regime 226
6.2 Vertical Transport in the High-Field Regime 230
6.3 Investigation of Coupled Carrier--Quasiparticle Nonequilibrium Regimes 234
7 Quantum-Well Infrared Photodetectors 240
7.1 Fundamentals of Semiconductor-Based Infrared Detection 240
7.2 Single- Versus Multi-photon Strategies 242
7.3 Operational-Temperature Optimization of Terahertz Photodetectors 249
8 Quantum-Cascade Lasers 256
8.1 Fundamentals of Quantum-Cascade Devices 256
8.2 Modeling of Mid-infrared Quantum-Cascade Devices 259
8.2.1 Partially Phenomenological Approach 259
8.2.2 Global-Simulation Scheme 262
8.2.3 Quantum-Transport Phenomena 266
8.2.4 Active-Region/Cavity--Mode Coupling 269
8.3 Toward Terahertz Laser Sources 272
Part III New-Generation Nanomaterials and Nanodevices 280
9 Few-Electron/Exciton Quantum Devices 281
9.1 Fundamentals of Semiconductor Macroatoms 281
9.2 Coulomb-Correlation Effects in Few-Carrier Systems 283
9.2.1 Single-Particle Description 284
9.2.2 Coulomb-Correlated Carrier System 284
9.2.3 Interaction with External Light Sources 287
9.2.4 The Excitonic Picture 290
9.3 Field-Induced Exciton--Exciton Dipole Coupling 293
9.4 Semiconductor Double Quantum Dots as ``Storage Qubits'' 304
9.4.1 Definition of the Storage Qubit 304
9.4.2 State Measurement via a STIRAP Process 306
9.5 Potential All-Optical Read-Out Devices 312
10 Semiconductor-Based Quantum Logic Gates 316
10.1 Fundamentals of Quantum Information Processing 316
10.2 All-Optical QIP with Semiconductor Macroatoms 317
10.2.1 GaAs-Based Quantum Hardware 318
10.2.2 GaN-Based Quantum Hardware 322
10.2.3 Combination of Charge and Spin Degrees of Freedom 327
10.3 QIP with Ballistic Electrons in Semiconductor Nanowires 330
10.3.1 Quantum Hardware and Basic Logic Operations 331
10.3.2 Testing Bell's Inequality Violations in Semiconductors 334
11 New Frontiers of Electronic and Optoelectronic Device Physics and Technology 338
11.1 Molecular Electronics (Moletronics) 338
11.2 Spin-Transport Electronics (Spintronics) 342
Part IV Appendices 348
A The Envelope-Function Approximation 349
B The U Boundary-Condition Scheme 353
C Evaluation of the Carrier--Quasiparticle Scattering Superoperator 356
D Derivation of the Wigner Transport Equation 359
References 362
Index 378

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 13.1.2011
• Reihe/Serie: NanoScience and Technology
• Zusatzinfo: XIV, 382 p.
• Verlagsort: Berlin
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Elektrotechnik / Energietechnik
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Maschinenbau
• Schlagworte: Density matrix formalism • Quantum cascade lasers • Quantum devices • Quantum information processing • Semiconductor Nanostructures
• ISBN-10: 3-642-10556-4 / 3642105564
• ISBN-13: 978-3-642-10556-2 / 9783642105562