Low Dimensional Semiconductor Structures

Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures offers a seamless, atoms-to-devices introduction to the latest quantum heterostructures. It covers their fabrication; electronic, optical, and transport properties; role in exploring new physical phenomena; and utilization in devices. The authors describe the epitaxial growth of semiconductors and the physical behavior of electrons and phonons in low-dimensional structures. They then go on to discuss nonlinear optics in quantum heterostructures. The final chapters deal with semiconductor lasers, mesoscopic devices, and high-speed heterostructure devices. The book contains many exercises and comprehensive references.

Presenting the latest advances in artificial structures, this volume discusses in-depth the structure and electron transport mechanisms of quantum wells, superlattices, quantum wires, and quantum dots. It will serve as an invaluable reference and review for researchers and graduate students in solid-state physics, materials science, and electrical and electronic engineering.

Low-dimensional semiconductor quantum structures are a major, high-technological development that has a considerable industrial potential. The field is developing extremely rapidly and the present book represents a timely guide to the latest developments in device technology, fundamental properties, and some remarkable applications. The content is largely tutorial, and the book could be used as a textbook. The book deals with the physics, fabrication, characteristics and performance of devices based on low-dimensional semiconductor structures. It opens with fabrication procedures. The fundamentals of quantum structures and electro-optical devices are dealt with extensively. Nonlinear optical devices are discussed from the point of view of physics and applications of exciton saturation in MQW structures. Waveguide-based devices are also described in terms of linear and nonlinear coupling. The basics of pseudomorphic HEMT technology, device physics and materials layer design are presented. Each aspect is reviewed from the elementary basics up to the latest developments. Audience: Undergraduates in electrical engineering, graduates in physics and engineering schools. Useful for active scientists and engineers wishing to update their knowledge and understanding of recent developments.

Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Structures offers a seamless, atoms-to-devices introduction to the latest quantum heterostructures. It covers their fabrication; electronic, optical, and transport properties; role in exploring new physical phenomena; and utilization in devices. The authors describe the epitaxial growth of semiconductors and the physical behavior of electrons and phonons in low-dimensional structures. They then go on to discuss nonlinear optics in quantum heterostructures. The final chapters deal with semiconductor lasers, mesoscopic devices, and high-speed heterostructure devices. The book contains many exercises and comprehensive references.

Starting with the first transistor in 1949, the world has experienced a technological revolution which has permeated most aspects of modern life, particularly over the last generation. Yet another such revolution looms up before us with the newly developed capability to control matter on the nanometer scale. A truly extraordinary research effort, by scientists, engineers, technologists of all disciplines, in nations large and small throughout the world, is directed and vigorously pressed to develop a full understanding of the properties of matter at the nanoscale and its possible applications, to bring to fruition the promise of nanostructures to introduce a new generation of electronic and optical devices. The physics of low dimensional semiconductor structures, including heterostructures, superlattices, quantum wells, wires and dots is reviewed and their modeling is discussed in detail. The truly exceptional material, Graphene, is reviewed; its functionalization and Van der Waals interactions are included here. Recent research on optical studies of quantum dots and on the physical properties of one-dimensional quantum wires is also reported. Chapters on fabrication of nanowire – based nanogap devices by the dielectrophoretic assembly approach. The broad spectrum of research reported here incorporates chapters on nanoengineering and nanophysics. In its presentation of tutorial chapters as well as advanced research on nanostructures, this book is ideally suited to meet the needs of newcomers to the field as well as experienced researchers interested in viewing colleagues’ recent advances.

This Advanced Study Institute on the Electronic Properties of Multilayers and Low Dimensional Semiconductor Structures focussed on several of the most active areas in modern semiconductor physics. These included resonant tunnelling and superlattice phenomena and the topics of ballistic transport, quantised conductance and anomalous magnetoresistance effects in laterally gated two-dimensional electron systems. Although the main emphasis was on fundamental physics, a series of supporting lectures described the underlying technology (Molecular Beam Epitaxy, Metallo-Organic Chemical Vapour Deposition, Electron Beam Lithography and other advanced processing technologies). Actual and potential applications of low dimensional structures in optoelectronic and high frequency devices were also discussed. The ASI took the form of a series of lectures of about fifty minutes' duration which were given by senior researchers from a wide range of countries. Most of the lectures are recorded in these Proceedings. The younger members of the Institute made the predominant contribution to the discussion sessions following each lecture and, in addition, provided most of the fifty-five papers that were presented in two lively poster sessions. The ASl emphasised the impressive way in which this research field has developed through the fruitful interaction of theory, experiment and semiconductor device technology. Many of the talks demonstrated both the effectiveness and limitations of semiclassical concepts in describing the quantum phenomena exhibited by electrons in low dimensional structures.

The discovery of the quantized and fractional Quantum Hall Effect phenomena is among the most important physics findings in the latter half of this century. The precise quantization of the electrical resistance involved in the quantized Hall effect phenomena has led to the new definition of the resistance standard and has metrologically affected all of science and technology. This resource consists of contributions from the top researchers in the field who present recent experimental and theoretical developments. Each chapter is self-contained and includes its own set of references guiding readers to original papers and further reading on the topic.