Tuning The Properties of Quantum Dots Via The Effective Mass.

In the present work we revisit effective mass theory (EMT) for a semiconductor quantum dot (QD) and employ the BenDaniel-Duke (BDD) boundary condition. In effective mass theory mass mi inside the dot of radius R is different from the mass mo outside the dot. That gives us a crucial factor in determining the electronic spectrum namely β = mi/m0. We show both by numerical calculations and asymptotic analysis that the ground state energy and the surface charge density, ρ(r) can be large. We also show that the dependence of the ground state energy on the radius of the well is infraquadratic. We demonstrate that the significance of BDD condition is pronounced at large R. We also study the dependence of excited state on the radius as well as the difference between energy states. Both exhibit an infra quadratic behavior with radius. The energy difference is important in study of absorption and emission spectra. We find that the BDD condition substantially alters the energy difference. Hence the interpretation of experimental result may need to be reexamined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]