Piezoelectric effect on optical properties of pseudomorphically strained wurtzite GaN quantum wells

• Published in: IEEE photonics technology letters Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 728 - 730
• Main Authors: Jin Wang, Jeon, J.B., Sirenko, Yu.M., Kim, K.W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-06-1997
• Subjects: Capacitive sensors; Charge carrier density; Charge carrier processes; Electron optics; Gallium nitride; Optical polarization; Piezoelectric effect; Piezoelectric polarization; Poisson equations; Quantum wells
• ISSN: 1041-1135; 1941-0174
• DOI: 10.1109/68.584971

The presence of internal strain in wurtzite quantum-well (QW) structures may lead to the generation of large polarization fields. These piezoelectric fields cause a spatial separation of the electrons and holes inside the QW to screen the internal fields. A self-consistent calculation of optical gain and the corresponding differential gain is presented in pseudomorphically strained GaN quantum wells as a function of carrier density. Based on the local exchange-correlation potential, electron and hole band structures are obtained by coupling Poisson's equation with an effective-mass Schrodinger equation in the conduction band and an envelope-function (or k/spl middot/p) Hamiltonian in the valence band. Our calculations show that self-consistent calculations including the piezoelectric effects are essential for accurate description of strained wurtzite QW structures.