Cyclotron-resonance effective mass in narrow quantum wells

Abstract

Values of the cyclotron-resonance mass are computed for Ga 0.47 In 0.53 As InP quantum wells as a function of the well width. The values are found to increase with decreasing well width partly due to the energy band nonparabolicity of the well material and partly due to the extension of the wave function into the barrier layer. On the basis of the computed results, it is suggested that cyclotron-resonance experiments with narrow quantum wells may be done to determine the electron mass in the forbidden gap and also to identify the energy-band minimum associated with the barrier potential.