Auger recombination in HgCdTe quantum wires and quantum boxes

Abstract

Quantum-wire and quantum-box structures for narrow-gap materials with small effective masses, such as HgCdTe, can readily be fabricated using current lithographic techniques. In this article, we calculate the Auger-recombination carrier lifetimes in HgCdTe quantum-wire and quantum-box structures, with band gaps in the 2–5 μm wavelength range. Quantum confinement is generally believed to increase the carrier lifetimes. However, we find the Auger recombination lifetime in a HgCdTe quantum wire is shorter than that in a quantum well, and it decreases as the wire width decreases because of the corresponding increase in the density of states. On the other hand, band-to-band Auger recombination is zero in a quantum box because the overlap functions vanish and because of the discrete nature of the energy levels. Therefore, within the confines of our model, we can expect improved temperature performance from long-wavelength quantum-box lasers but not from quantum-wire lasers. Furthermore, these conclusions are applicable for all types of band-to-band Auger processes and semiconductor materials.