Calculations of Electronic and Optical Properties

The experimental activities are complemented by the theory groups of  Vogl and  von Delft who plan to calculate realistic electronic and optical properties of these nanostructures. Employing a charge-self-consistent solution of the Kohn-Sham equations within a multiband envelope function approach, Vogl’s group calculates optical spectra for laterally and vertically coupled quantum dot arrays. Intra- and interdot-excitonic effects for the confined carriers are included in a mean-field approximation. The electronic structure calculations are based on our three-dimensional nanometer device simulator nextnano3 and take into account strain, piezo-electric charges, and external fields. Von Delft’s group plans to calculate the emission and absorption line shapes for self-assembled QDs especially also in the regime where these dots are rather strongly coupled to back gates or a wetting layer, so that many-body correlations between dot and lead electrons can be expected to occur.