Hot electron effects in optically-pumped mid-infrared intersubband semiconductor laser

A theoretical investigation of an optically-pumped mid-infrared intersubband semiconductor laser is presented. The influence of electrons and dopant ions on the conduction band structure is simulated with a self-consistent Poisson–Schrödinger solver. Electron-polar optical phonon interactions are calculated by using a macroscopic phonon model with electromagnetic boundary conditions. In order to assess the influence of the electronic temperature on the device optical performances, electron dynamics under optical pumping are investigated within a rate equation model where particle and energy flow equations are derived from Boltzmann's equation with Fermi statistics. Our calculations show that population inversion between the first and second excited states can occur at 77 K under intersubband optical excitation.     

Wave packet molecular dynamics–density functional theory method for non‐ideal plasma and warm dense matter simulations

A new wave packet molecular dynamics–density functional theory (WPMD‐DFT) method is proposed for atomistic simulations of non‐ideal plasma and warm dense matter. The method is based on the WPMD approach, where the electronic exchange and correlation effects are treated using an additional energy term taken from DFT. This term is calculated by integration over the mesh values of the wave packet density. The local density approximation is implemented so far. WPMD‐DFT is meant as a replacement for the anti‐symmetrized WPMD (AWPMD) method which is more time consuming and lacks electron correlation. In this paper, we compare the results obtained by WPMD‐DFT, WPMD, AWPMD, classical molecular dynamics, and path integral Monte Carlo methods for the internal energy of the hydrogen plasma in the temperature range 10–50 kK and electron number density from 10²⁰ to 10²⁴ cm^?3. We also demonstrate the ability to handle the simultaneous dynamics of electrons and ions by calculating the electron–ion temperature relaxation. The scalability of the WPMD‐DFT method with the number of electrons is shown for implementations in central processing unit and graphical processing unit.     

Relaxation and thermal vibrations at the NaF(100) surface

The relaxation and the thermal vibrations of the NaF(100) surface are investigated in the temperature range between 25 K and 230 K by means of low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and a subsequent I(V) structure analysis based on the tensor LEED approach (TLEED). According to the experiments, the NaF(100) surface is not significantly relaxed and has the ideal truncated bulk structure. The thermal vibrational amplitudes of the ions in the topmost layer are significantly enhanced compared to the bulk by a factor of 1.35 ± 0.15 and are equal within the error-bars for Na⁺ and F^? ions. Moreover, the relaxation and the dynamics of the NaF(100) surface are investigated using periodic density functional theory (DFT) calculations using pseudopotentials. In agreement with the experimental findings, the calculated relaxation of the NaF(100) surface is weak with static shifts of the ions of 0.01 Å to 0.02 Å. In the topmost layer, the Na⁺ ions are predicted to be slightly inward shifted, whereas the F^? ions are outward shifted, in accordance to predictions of previous shell-model calculations. A Born Oppenheimer molecular dynamics (BO-MD) simulation of the dynamics at the NaF(100) surface leads to a smaller enhancement of thermal motions of the ions at the surface compared to the experiment.     

Atomic and electron structure of reconstructed (111) surface in ZnSe and CdSe crystals

The atomic and electron structure of four variants of polar (111)-(2 × 2) surfaces in ZnSe and CdSe terminated by a cation, namely, the ideal, relaxed, reconstructed, and relaxed after reconstruction surfaces, are calculated for the first time from the first principles. The surface is simulated by a film with a thickness of 12 atomic layers and a vacuum gap of ~16 Å in the layered superlattice approximation. Four fictitious hydrogen atoms with a charge of 0.5 electrons each are added for closing dangling Se bonds on the opposite side of the film. Ab initio calculations are performed using the QUANTUM ESPRESSO software based on the density functional theory. It is shown that relaxation results in splitting of atomic layers. We calculate and analyze the band structures and total and layer-wise densities of electron states for four variants of the surface.

     

Structural and dynamical properties of Ru(0 0 0 1) surface

I performed density functional theory (DFT) calculations combined with MD simulations to study the structural relaxation of Ru(0001) surface. The surface relaxation of the topmost layer is found to be about ?4% at absolute zero temperature. Using MD simulations in the temperatures range of 50 K and 900 K, the effect is found to be minor on the surface relaxation as compared to Pd (1 1 1) clean surface. The effect of surface vibration is also investigated using a LEED code and shows no effect of the vibrational level on the IV curves, which rules out any disagreement between proper theory and LEED results of well prepared surfaces.     

First principles calculations of relationship between the Cu surface states and relaxations

In this paper the relationship between the surface relaxations and the electron density distributions of surface states of Cu(100), Cu(110), and Cu(111) surfaces is obtained by first-principles calculations. The calculations indicate that relaxations mainly occur in the layers at which the surface states electrons are localized, and the magnitudes of the multilayer relaxations correspond to the difference of electron density of surface states between adjacent layers. The larger the interlayer relaxation is, the larger the difference of electron density of surface states between two layers is.     

General theory for the interference of two-photon and one-photon processes in semiconductor heterostructures

We develop a general theory for the dynamics of multi-photon processes in semiconductor heterostructures. The resulting effective multi-band Bloch equations describe the dynamics of electrons in the reduced set of bands between which the optical pulses induce quasi-resonant transitions. The model is specialized to the case of interfering one- and two-photon transitions across the band gap. The withdrawn bands are included as intermediate states for an effective interaction that is quadratic in the electromagnetic fields. The benefit of this perturbative approach is to lead to equations of motion for slowly varying quantities only, in the spirit of the rotating wave approximation. Coulomb interaction and relaxation can also easily be included. Finally, a general expression for the time dependent polarization current that is consistent with the approximations involved by the effective multi-band Bloch equations is derived.     

Theoretical investigation of electronic and optical properties of andalusite within density functional theory

The electronic and optical properties of andalusite were studied by using quantum-mechanical calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT). The electronic structure shows that andalusite has a direct band gap of 5.01 eV. The complex dielectric function and optical constants, such as extinction coefficient, refractive index, reflectivity and energy-loss spectrum, are calculated. The optical properties of andalusite are discussed based on the band structure calculations. It is shown that the O-2p states and Al-3s states play a major role in optical transitions as initial and final states, respectively.     

B、N单掺杂3C-SiC电子结构和光学性质的第一性原理研究

采用第一性原理的密度泛函理论赝势平面波方法,计算了未掺杂与B、N单掺杂3C-SiC的电子结构和光学性质.结果表明:掺杂改变了3C-SiC费米面附近的电子结构;B掺杂使得禁带宽度减小,价带顶上移,费米能级进入价带,形成p型半导体;N掺杂使得禁带宽度减小,导带底下移,费米能级进入导带,形成n型半导体.B、N掺杂均提高了3C-SiC在低能区的折射率、消光系数和吸收系数,增强了对红外光谱的吸收.     

Electron relaxation and transport in nanostructured and bulk silica

Processes of ballistic and hot electron relaxation in extended bulk as well as nanostructured silica have been analyzed by means of a phonon-based scattering model and respective Monte-Carlo computer simulation. Optical as well as acoustic phonons are taken into account. Trajectories of electrons and their energy attenuation in nanostructured silica are additionally affected by scattering processes at the grain boundaries between the nanoparticles, i.e. by surface phonon as well as potential scattering. Moreover, a flatter conduction band and a higher effective electron mass have been taken into account too. According to these calculations, electrons with an initial energy of several eV, but still below the valence band ionization threshold, were thermalized in 50–300 fs increasing with the silica grain size from 1 nm up to bulk material. The electron emission probabilities over the surface barrier into vacuum are extended up to depths of 60–100 nm, respectively, increasing with enhancement by an electric field.     

Under-coordinated atoms induced local strain, quantum trap depression and valence charge polarization at W stepped surfaces

We have explored the effects of atoms under-coordination on surface structure relaxation, binding energy shift of W stepped surfaces and valence charge polarization by the method of incorporating bond order-length-strength (BOLS) correlation mechanism into high-resolution X-ray photoluminescence spectra (XPS) measurements as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Results show that the 4f_7/2 energy levels of bulk, surface skin and step edge W atoms shift deeper from 2.17 to 2.69 eV with respect to that of the isolated W (28.91±0.01 eV) atoms, while the valence charge energy shift upper from inner to outer layer and from bulk to stepped edge. The surface bond contraction occurs around under-coordinated atoms after geometry relaxation calculation. Consistency among BOLS calculations, DFT calculation and experimental measurements clarifies that the surface bond contraction and consolidation due to the effects of under-coordination atoms induce potential trap depression, which provides perturbation to the Hamiltonian and hence contributes to the surface core level shift deeper, and that the surface valence charge are polarized by the densely trapped core-level electrons to upper energy.     

Half-metallic properties of the CuHg2Ti-type Mn2ZnSi full-Heusler compound

The half-metallic properties of novel CuHg₂Ti-type Mn₂ZnSi full-Heusler compound were examined by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The electronic band structures and density of states of the Mn₂ZnSi compound show that spin-up electrons are metallic, but the spin-down bands are semiconductor with a gap of 0.48 eV, and the spin-flip gap is of 0.28 eV. The Mn₂ZnSi Heusler compound has a magnetic moment of 2 μ_B at the equilibrium lattice constant a = 5.80 Å. The Mn₂ZnSi full-Heusler compound is ferrimagnetic and maintains the half-metallic character having 100% polarization for lattice constants ranging between 5.62 and 6.91 Å.     

Time-domain ab initio simulation of electron and hole relaxation dynamics in a single-wall semiconducting carbon nanotube

The electron and hole relaxation in the (7, 0) zigzag carbon nanotube is simulated in time domain using a surface-hopping Kohn-Sham density functional theory. Following a photoexcitation between the second van Hove singularities, the electrons and holes decay to the Fermi level on characteristic subpicosecond time scales. Surprisingly, despite a lower density of states, the electrons relax faster than the holes. The relaxation is primarily mediated by the high-frequency longitudinal optical (LO) phonons. Hole dynamics are more complex than the electron dynamics: in addition to the LO phonons, holes couple to lower frequency breathing modes and decay over multiple time scales.     

Determination of surface state parameters from surface photovoltage transients: CdS

A method was developed for determining surface state parameters such as density, fractional occupancy and capture cross section for electrons and for photons from surface photovoltage transients. These transients were found to be associated with the photostimulated transition of electrons from surface states to the conduction band. Suitable analytical expressions were derived from basic semiconductor surface equations. The application of the method to CdS surfaces is presented.     

Metallicity of atomic wires

The variety of atomic “dimensional” wires can now be synthesized on furrowed and stepped surfaces. These adlayers provide a variety of opportunities for systematically tailoring the surface properties. One of key issue is the metallicity of an atomic wire (even a “supported” atomic wire). Monte-Carlo simulations provide insight into the parameters of indirect interaction that are the basis for the formation of the atomic wires and their stability. In some cases, these results can be directly compared with density functional theory (DFT) calculations of energies of the lateral interactions between adsorbed atoms—one of the most transparent example of Sr/Mo(1 1 2) is presented here as well. It is the surface band structure calculations that provide insights on how metallicity in such surface structures might be altered.Surprisingly, like most of “metallic” wires on semiconductor surfaces, linear chains of alkaline earth on the furrowed transition metal surfaces, such as the Mo(1 1 2) surface, also do not exhibit strong metallic character but, rather, may be considered dielectric atomic chains. The adsorption bonds result in a loss in electron itinerancy, leading to greater valence electron localization in the adlayer in some cases. The localized character of the bands near the Fermi level, associated with the adlayer, is replaced by a metallic band structure when the lattice period of the adsorbed layer becomes incommensurate with the substrate periodicity along the furrows with increasing coverage of the adlayer. With changes in adlayer coverage, both theory and experiment indicate that the adsorbed layers can undergo a Wilson type nonmetal-to-metal transition.     

CdS掺Mg和Ni电子结构和光学性质的密度泛函理论研究

采用基于密度泛函理论的第一性原理赝势平面波方法,对闪锌矿结构CdS和CdS∶M(M=Mg,Ni)几何结构、能带结构、电子态密度和光学性质进行了系统的研究。几何结构研究对掺杂后体系晶格常量进行了优化计算,结果表明Mg和Ni原子掺入CdS后晶格常量均减小,晶格发生局部畸变。进一步研究了掺杂对体系电子结构的影响,能带结构和电子态密度分析表明由于Ni 3d电子的引入使CdS∶Ni成为半金属铁磁半导体,而Mg 3s电子的引入CdS∶Mg带隙变宽。另外,体系掺杂后,吸收系数分析表明掺杂导致吸收峰在可见光波长区域变化显著,且掺Ni导致吸收峰进一步向长波方向移动。     

Spin dynamics of semiconductor electrons in a hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structure

We analyze the recent experimental study by R.J. Epstein et al. [Phys. Rev. B 65, 121202 (2002)] on the spin dynamics of semiconductor electrons in a hybrid ferromagnet/semiconductor structure by using a simple model based on the Bloch equations. A comparison between the model calculations and the experimental observations shows that the spin relaxation rate is strongly anisotropic. We interpret this anisotropy as a manifestation of the exchange interaction between metallic and semiconductor electrons at the ferromagnet/semiconductor interface.     

Photoexcited electron and hole dynamics in semiconductor quantum dots: phonon-induced relaxation, dephasing, multiple exciton generation and recombination

Photoexcited dynamics of electrons and holes in semiconductor quantum dots (QD), including phonon-induced relaxation, multiple exciton generation, fission and recombination (MEG, MEF and MER), were simulated by combining ab?initio time-dependent density functional theory and non-adiabatic molecular dynamics. These nonequilibrium phenomena govern the optical properties and photoexcited dynamics of QDs, determining the branching between electronic processes and thermal energy losses. Our approach accounts for QD size and shape as well as defects, core-shell distribution, surface ligands and charge trapping, which significantly influence the properties of photoexcited QDs. The method creates an explicit time-domain representation of photoinduced processes and describes various kinetic regimes owing to the non-perturbative treatment of quantum dynamics. QDs of different sizes and materials, with and without ligands, are considered. The simulations provide direct evidence that the high-frequency ligand modes on the QD surface play a pivotal role in the electron-phonon relaxation, MEG, MEF and MER. The insights reported here suggest novel routes for controlling the photoinduced processes in semiconductor QDs and lead to new design principles for increasing the efficiencies of photovoltaic devices.     

Electronic structure and optical properties of RbPb2Br5

We report on density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the total and partial densities of states of rubidium dilead pentabromide, RbPb₂Br₅, employing the augmented plane wave+local orbitals (APW+lo) method as incorporated in the WIEN2k package. The calculations indicate that the Pb 6s and Br 4p states are the dominant contributors to the valence band: their main contributions are found to occur at the bottom and at the top of the band, respectively. Our calculations reveal that the bottom of the conduction band is formed predominantly from contributions of the unoccupied Pb 6p states. Data of total DOS derived in the present DFT calculations are found to be in agreement with the experimental X-ray photoelectron valence-band spectrum of this compound. The predominant contributions of the Br 4p states at the top of the valence band of rubidium dilead pentabromide are confirmed by comparison on a common energy scale of the X-ray emission band representing the energy distribution of the valence Br p states and the X-ray photoelectron valence-band spectrum of the RbPb₂Br₅ single crystal. Main optical characteristics of RbPb₂Br₅, such as dispersion of the absorption coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric function, electron energy-loss spectrum, refractive index, extinction coefficient and optical reflectivity are explored for RbPb₂Br₅ by the DFT calculations.     

Mutual entrainment of hot electrons and optical phonons in polar semiconductors

Kinetic equations for nonequilibrium electrons and optical phonons are constructed and solved for the case in which the interaction between these particles is the primary mechanism for the relaxation of the electron energy and quasimomentum. The calculations reflect the circumstance that for the optical phonons the equivalent primary relaxation mechanism is the interaction with acoustic phonons (which are at equilibrium in this case). Constitutive equations are derived for polar semiconductors which reflect the mutual entrainment of electrons and optical phonons. Energy balance equations, which determine the temperatures of these particles, are also derived. These temperatures are generally different from each other and from the reservoir temperature.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 2, pp. 32–36, February, 1984.We wish to thank É. A. Kaner and I. B. Levinson for useful discussions.