Self-consistent energy balance simulations of hole dynamics in SiGe/Si THz quantum cascade structures

Analysis of hole transport in cascaded p-Si/SiGe quantum well structures is performed using self-consistent rate equations simulations. The hole subband structure is calculated using the 6 × 6 k · p model, and then used to find carrier relaxation rates due to the alloy disorder, acoustic, and optical phonon scattering, as well as hole-hole scattering. The simulation accounts for the in-plane k-space anisotropy of both the hole subband structure and the scattering rates. Results are presented for prototype THz Si/SiGe quantum cascade structures.