Theory of hole refractions from heterojunctions

Abstract

A theory for the reflection and transmission of a heavy hole and a light hole from semiconductor heterojunctions is developed using the multiband effective-mass theory. The conversion from the heavy hole to the light hole or vice versa is investigated. Anomalous refraction behavior similar to the Wood’s anomalies in the optics case is found. Various critical angles are defined analytically, and the phase-matching conditions are illustrated using the dispersion diagrams. The reflectivities and the transmissivities for the probability current density are derived and evaluated numerically. The conservation of the current density is demonstrated.