Donor binding energies and spin–orbit coupling in a spherical quantum dot

• Published in: Solid state communications Vol. 130; no. 11; pp. 773 - 776
• Main Authors: Daries Bella, R.S., Navaneethakrishnan, K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: A. Quantum dot; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; D. Donor binding; D. Spin–orbit coupling; Electron states and collective excitations in thin films, multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic and nanoscale systems; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Physics; Quantum dots; 73.20 Dx; D. Spin–orbit coupling; 73.20.Hb; A. Quantum dot; D. Donor binding; Gallium arsenides; Inorganic compounds; Spherical shape; Semiconductor materials; D. Spin-orbit coupling; Ground states; Quantum dots; Binary compounds; Excited states; H-like ions; Impurities; Binding energy; 73.20.Hb A. Quantum dot; Spin-orbit interactions; Donor center; Photoconductivity; Impurity states
• ISSN: 0038-1098; 1879-2766
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ssc.2004.02.053

The ground state and a few excited state energies of a hydrogenic donor in a spherical quantum dot (GaAs in a GaAlAs matrix) are computed. While the 1s and the 2s-state energies behave normally for dots of all radii, the 2p 0 and 2p ± states are unbound for most of the radii of interest. It is predicted that a semiconductor quantum dot with a hydrogenic donor will exhibit photoconductivity for a low threshold wavelength ∼12 μm. The spin–orbit coupling gives a contribution of the order of 10 −5 meV for both 2p 0 and 2p ± states.