Electronic structure of GaAs with an InAs (001) monolayer

The effect on the electronic structure of an InAs monomolecular plane inserted in bulk GaAs is investigated theoretically. The (InAs)1(GaAs)n (001) strained superlattice is studied via ab initio self-consistent pseudopotential calculations. Both electrons and holes are localized nearby the inserted InAs monolayer, which therefore acts as a quantum well for all the charge carriers. The small thickness of the inserted InAs slab is responsible for high confinement energies of the charge carriers, and therefore the interband electron-heavy-hole transition energy is close to the energy gap of the bulk GaAs, in agreement with recent experimental data.