Quantum Physics Of Semiconductor Materials And Devices

”Quantum Phenomena do not occur in a Hilbert space. They occur in a laboratory”. - Asher Peres Semiconductor physics is a laboratory to learn and discover the concepts of quantum mechanics and thermodynamics, condensed matter physics, and materials science, and the payoffs are almost immediate in the form of useful semiconductor devices. Debdeep Jena has had the opportunity to work on both sides of the fence - on the fundamental materials science and quantum physics of semiconductors, and in their applications in semiconductor electronic and photonic devices. In Quantum Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Jena uses this experience to make each topic as tangible and accessible as possible to students at all levels. Consider the simplest physical processes that occur in semiconductors: electron or hole transport in bands and over barriers, collision of electrons with the atoms in the crystal, or when electrons and holes annihilate each other to produce a photon. The correct explanation of these processes require a quantum mechanical treatment. Any shortcuts lead to misconceptions that can take years to dispel, and sometimes become roadblocks towards a deeper understanding and appreciation of the richness of the subject. A typical introductory course on semiconductor physics would then require prerequisites of quantum mechanics, statistical physics and thermodynamics, materials science, and electromagnetism. Rarely would a student have all this background when (s)he takes a course of this nature in most universities. Jena's work fills in these gaps and gives students the background and deeper understanding of the quantum physics of semiconductors and nanostructures.

Primary goal of this book is to provide a cohesive description of the vast field of semiconductor quantum devices, with special emphasis on basic quantum-mechanical phenomena governing the electro-optical response of new-generation nanomaterials. The book will cover within a common language different types of optoelectronic nanodevices, including quantum-cascade laser sources and detectors, few-electron/exciton quantum devices, and semiconductor-based quantum logic gates. The distinguishing feature of the present volume is a unified microscopic treatment of quantum-transport and coherent-optics phenomena on ultrasmall space- and time-scales, as well as of their semiclassical counterparts.

This text aims to provide the fundamentals necessary to understand semiconductor device characteristics, operations and limitations. Quantum mechanics and quantum theory are explored, and this background helps give students a deeper understanding of the essentials of physics and semiconductors.

Neamen's Semiconductor Physics and Devices, Third Edition. deals with the electrical properties and characteristics of semiconductor materials and devices. The goal of this book is to bring together quantum mechanics, the quantum theory of solids, semiconductor material physics, and semiconductor device physics in a clear and understandable way.

This textbook provides a theoretical background for contemporary trends in solid-state theory and semiconductor device physics. It discusses advanced methods of quantum mechanics and field theory and is therefore primarily intended for graduate students in theoretical and experimental physics who have already studied electrodynamics, statistical physics, and quantum mechanics. It also relates solid-state physics fundamentals to semiconductor device applications and includes auxiliary results from mathematics and quantum mechanics, making the book useful also for graduate students in electrical engineering and material science. Key Features: Explores concepts common in textbooks on semiconductors, in addition to topics not included in similar books currently available on the market, such as the topology of Hilbert space in crystals Contains the latest research and developments in the field Written in an accessible yet rigorous manner

Provides a basis for understanding the characteristics, operation, and limitations of semiconductor devices. This title deals with the electrical properties and characteristics of semiconductor materials and devices. It intends to bring together quantum mechanics, the quantum theory of solids, and semiconductor material physics.

This detailed book addresses three main areas of solid state electronics, providing an insight into the state of the art in material and device research that will be of interest to all those involved in compound semiconductors.