New analytical calculations of the resonance modes in lens-shaped cavities: applications to the calculations of the energy levels and electronic wavefunctions in quantum dots

Abstract

The problem of the energy levels and electronic wavefunctions in quantum dots is studied in the parabolic coordinates system. A conventional effective mass Hamiltonian is written. For an infinite potential barrier, it is related to the more general problem of finding the resonance modes in a cavity. The problem is found to be separable for a biconvex-shaped cavity or quantum dot with an infinite potential barrier. This first shape of quantum dot corresponds to the intersection of two orthogonal confocal parabolas. Then plano-convex lens-shaped cavities or quantum dots are studied. This problem is no more separable in the parabolic coordinates but using symmetry properties, we show that the exact solutions of the problem are simple combinations of the previous solutions. The same approach is used for spherical coordinates and hemispherical quantum dots. It is finally shown that convex lens-shaped quantum dots give a good description of self-organized InAs quantum dots grown on InP.