TY - JOUR
T1 - A microscopic model of electron transport in quantum dot infrared photodetectors
AU - Vukmirović, Nenad
AU - Ikonić, Zoran
AU - Savić, Ivana
AU - Indjin, Dragan
AU - Harrison, Paul
PY - 2006/10/1
Y1 - 2006/10/1
N2 - A theoretical model describing the electron transport in vertical conductivity quantum dot infrared photodetectors is presented. The carrier wave functions and energy levels were evaluated using the strain dependent eight-band kp Hamiltonian and used to calculate all intra- and interperiod transition rates due to interaction with phonons and electromagnetic radiation. The interaction with longitudinal acoustic phonons and electromagnetic radiation was treated perturbatively within the framework of Fermi's golden rule, while the interaction with longitudinal optical phonons was considered taking into account their strong coupling to electrons. A system of rate equations was then formed, from which the macroscopic device output parameters such as dark current and responsivity, as well as microscopic information about carrier distribution in quantum dots and continuum states, could be extracted. The model has been applied to simulate the dark current, as well as the midinfrared photoresponse in an experimentally realized device [Chen, J. Appl. Phys. 89, 4558 (2001)], and a good agreement with experiment has been obtained. Being free from any fitting or phenomenological parameters, the model should be a useful tool in the design and prediction of the characteristics of the existing or other types of quantum dot infrared photodetectors.
AB - A theoretical model describing the electron transport in vertical conductivity quantum dot infrared photodetectors is presented. The carrier wave functions and energy levels were evaluated using the strain dependent eight-band kp Hamiltonian and used to calculate all intra- and interperiod transition rates due to interaction with phonons and electromagnetic radiation. The interaction with longitudinal acoustic phonons and electromagnetic radiation was treated perturbatively within the framework of Fermi's golden rule, while the interaction with longitudinal optical phonons was considered taking into account their strong coupling to electrons. A system of rate equations was then formed, from which the macroscopic device output parameters such as dark current and responsivity, as well as microscopic information about carrier distribution in quantum dots and continuum states, could be extracted. The model has been applied to simulate the dark current, as well as the midinfrared photoresponse in an experimentally realized device [Chen, J. Appl. Phys. 89, 4558 (2001)], and a good agreement with experiment has been obtained. Being free from any fitting or phenomenological parameters, the model should be a useful tool in the design and prediction of the characteristics of the existing or other types of quantum dot infrared photodetectors.
KW - electric conductivity
KW - electromagnetic waves
KW - electron energy levels
KW - electron transport properties
KW - Hamiltonians
KW - infrared detectors
KW - peturbation techniques
KW - semiconductor quantum dots
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33749999220&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1063/1.2354321
DO - 10.1063/1.2354321
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33749999220
VL - 100
JO - Journal of Applied Physics
JF - Journal of Applied Physics
SN - 0021-8979
IS - 7
M1 - 074502
ER -