Electronic structure of (0 0 1) AlN/GaN quantum wells by means of a sp3s∗d5 empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian

We have studied the electronic band structure of (0 0 1) AlN/GaN quantum wells by means of a sp3s∗d5 empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian with nearest-neighbor interactions, including spin–orbit coupling and the effects of strain together with the surface Green function matching method. We have analyzed quantum wells with a thickness in the range 2 ⩽ n ⩽ 50, n being the number of principal layers of GaN in the well region. Results are presented for the Γ ¯ point and the Γ ¯ K ¯ direction of the 2D Brillouin zone. The orbital character and the spatial localization of the different states have been also studied.