The modified k·p method to investigate polarization effects in nitride quantum-well devices

The modified k·p method (which includes both stress and polarization effects) has been used to investigate recombination phenomena in nitride quantum-well (QW) devices. Within their volumes, both spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization have been found to have an essential influence on carriers behaviour. In particular, as a result of the quantum-confined Stark effect, energy of radiation emitted within the AlGaN/GaN/AlGaN QW has been found to decrease rapidly with an increase in the AlN mole fraction of the barrier material, which means—with an increase in mechanical stresses at the GaN/AlGaN heterojunctions. It should also be stressed that screening of polarization effects induced by free carriers at least partly reduced the above stress influence. So both effects, polarization and its screening, are equally important in exact modelling of an operation of nitride QW devices.