Carrier Transport in Heterojunction Nanocrystals Under Strain

Mark C. Sweeney, Joel D. Eaves

Published 2011-10-06, updated 2011-10-11Version 2

We present a theory for carrier transport in semiconducting nanoscale heterostructures that emphasizes the effects of strain at the interface between two different crystal structures. An exactly solvable model shows that the interface region, or junction, acts as a scattering potential that facilitates charge separation but also supports bound interfacial states. As a case study, we model a Type-II CdS/ZnSe heterostructure. After advancing a theory similar to that employed in model molecular conductance calculations, we calculate the electron and hole photocurrents and conductances, including non-linear effects, through the junction at steady-state.