We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

Spin dynamics in semiconductors

This article reviews the current status of spin dynamics in semiconductors which has achieved a lot of progress in the past years due to the fast growing field of semiconductor spintronics. The primary focus is the theoretical and experimental developments of spin relaxation and dephasing in both spin precession in time domain and spin diffusion and transport in spacial domain. A fully microscopic many-body investigation on spin dynamics based on the kinetic spin Bloch equation approach is reviewed comprehensively.

The paper reviews the interplay of Rashba/Dresselhaus spin splittings in various two-dimensional systems made of zinc-blende III–V, wurtzite, and SiGe semiconductors. We discuss the symmetry aspects of the linear and cubic in electron wavevector spin splitting in heterostructures prepared on (001)-, (110)-, (111)-, (113)-, (112)-, and (013)- oriented substrates and address the requirements for suppression of spin relaxation and realization of the persistent spin helix state. In experimental part of the paper, we overview experimental results on the interplay of Rashba/Dresselhaus spin splittings probed by photogalvanic spectroscopy: The method based on the phenomenological equivalence of the linear-in-wavevector spin splitting and several photogalvanic phenomena.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/pssb.201350261

Interplay of Rashba/Dresselhaus spin splittings probed by photogalvanic spectroscopy –A review

The magnetoresistance at temperatures below 20 K in an $n\text{-InSb}/{\text{In}}_{0.85}{\text{Al}}_{0.15}\text{Sb}$ two-dimensional electron system is studied and described in terms of antilocalization due to quantum interference under strong spin-orbit interaction. The spin-orbit interaction coefficients are extracted by fitting the magnetoresistance data to an antilocalization theory distinguishing the Rashba and Dresselhaus contributions. A good agreement between magnetoresistance data and theory suggests a Rashba coefficient $|\ensuremath{\alpha}|\ensuremath{\approx}0.03\text{ }\text{eV}\text{ }\text{\AA{}}$ and a Dresselhaus coefficient $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\approx}490\text{ }\text{eV}\text{ }{\text{\AA{}}}^{3}$. A strong contribution from the Dresselhaus term leads to pronounced anisotropy in the energy splitting induced by spin-orbit interaction in the two-dimensional electron dispersion.

/pdf/spin-orbit-interaction-determined-by-antilocalization-in-an-4r09pjmkcu.pdf

Spin-orbit interaction determined by antilocalization in an InSb quantum well

We use electron spin resonance in the far infrared to probe the Landau-level spin splitting in symmetric and asymmetric InSb quantum wells. The asymmetric wells exhibit a strong deviation in behavior from the symmetric wells at low magnetic fields with apparent $g$ factors far in excess of the bulk $g$ factor of InSb. These asymmetry-induced shifts in the spin resonance depend on Landau-level index as predicted by the Bychkov-Rashba model. We analyze the shifts to extract values for the Rashba parameter.

/pdf/spectroscopy-of-rashba-spin-splitting-in-insb-quantum-wells-4lp0l3y3zd.pdf

Spectroscopy of Rashba spin splitting in InSb quantum wells

We use transmission spectroscopy to determine the energy gap for the AlxIn1−xSb alloy system in the Al concentration range from 0% to 25% from cryogenic to room temperature. The samples are epitaxial layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs substrates. Our room temperature results are compared to those from two earlier studies. In our Al concentration range, we find a linear change of energy gap with alloy lattice constant.

Determination of the concentration and temperature dependence of the fundamental energy gap in AlxIn1−xSb

We report the observation of interband exciton transitions in InSb/AlxIn1−xSb multi-quantum-well samples. The exciton peaks are identified with the use of a simple quantum well model. The strain present in the InSb wells alters the spectrum significantly from that for unstrained III–V materials and makes it possible to use the exciton spectrum in determining the band offset.

/pdf/observation-of-excitonic-transitions-in-insb-quantum-wells-21skn5z831.pdf

Observation of excitonic transitions in InSb quantum wells

Among the III–V semiconductors, InSb has the smallest electron effective mass and the largest g-factor. We make use of these properties to explore some aspects of electron spin in InSb quantum wells with far-infrared magneto-spectroscopy. We observe the clear signature of spin-resolved cyclotron resonance caused by the non-parabolicity of the conduction band. We observe avoided-level crossings at magnetic fields where Landau levels of the same spin are predicted to intersect. We also study electron spin resonance in the far infrared over a wide range of magnetic field. In samples with symmetrically designed quantum wells we find cyclotron masses and observed g-factors in good agreement with a Pidgeon–Brown analysis adapted to the two-dimensional band structure. However, the spin splitting approaches ∼3 meV as the magnetic field approaches zero in samples intentionally asymmetrically doped.

Spin effects in InSb quantum wells

Two-dimensional electron systems were realized in InSb quantum wells with AlxIn1−xSb barrier layers δ-doped with Si. Measured electron mobilities in multiple-quantum-well structures were as high as 41 000 cm2/V s at room temperature and 209 000 cm2/V s at 77 K. Simple models can be used to explain the observed dependencies of the electron density on the quantum-well-to-dopant distance and on the number of quantum wells. Characterization by atomic force microscopy indicates that layer morphology may be a factor limiting electron mobility.

/pdf/electrical-properties-of-insb-quantum-wells-remotely-doped-3tqge9fjlm.pdf

R. E. Doezema

Papers

Spectroscopy of Rashba spin splitting in InSb quantum wells

Determination of the concentration and temperature dependence of the fundamental energy gap in AlxIn1−xSb

Observation of excitonic transitions in InSb quantum wells

Spin effects in InSb quantum wells

Electrical properties of InSb quantum wells remotely doped with Si