Abstract
We have investigated the effects of the spin-orbit interaction on the valence-band structure of wurtzite GaN in the k⋅p theory. The spin-orbit interaction is usually neglected in nitrides, which leads to three doubly degenerate bands: the heavy-hole, light-hole, and crystal-field split-off bands. Including the spin-orbit interaction, this degeneracy is removed to give six single bands. We obtained the Luttinger-like parameters in bulk wurtzite GaN by fitting data obtained from an empirical pseudopotential calculation obtaining a value for the parameter A7 of 93.7 meV/Å. We also used these results to calculate the valence-band structures of a GaN/AlGaN quantum well. Our result shows the spin-orbit interaction is important in GaN and associated quantum well structures.
Keywords
Wurtzite crystal structurePseudopotentialCondensed matter physicsSpin–orbit interactionDegenerate energy levelsValence (chemistry)Wide-bandgap semiconductorElectronic band structureMaterials scienceEnergy level splittingPhysicsQuantum mechanicsZinc
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Publication Info
- Year
- 1999
- Type
- article
- Volume
- 74
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1117-1119
- Citations
- 65
- Access
- Closed
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Cite This
Guanzhou Ren,
Y. M. Liu,
P. Blood
(1999).
Valence-band structure of wurtzite GaN including the spin-orbit interaction.
Applied Physics Letters
, 74
(8)
, 1117-1119.
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.123461
Identifiers
- DOI
- 10.1063/1.123461