Eur. Phys. J. B 64, 51-60 (2008)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2008-00269-7

Spin-orbit coupling and crystal-field splitting in the electronic and optical properties of nitride quantum dots with a wurtzite crystal structure

¹ Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
² College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 85721, USA

Corresponding author: ^a stefan.schulz@tyndall.ie

Received: 14 January 2008
Revised: 20 May 2008
Published online: 9 July 2008

Abstract

We present an sp³ tight-binding model for the calculation of the electronic and optical properties of wurtzite semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). The tight-binding model takes into account strain, piezoelectricity, spin-orbit coupling and crystal-field splitting. Excitonic absorption spectra are calculated using the configuration interaction scheme. We study the electronic and optical properties of InN/GaN QDs and their dependence on structural properties, crystal-field splitting, and spin-orbit coupling.