Multichannel Tunneling In Multiband Heterostructures: Heavy-Hole And Light-Hole Transmission Properties

Based on the standard multiband Hamiltonians, the quadratic eigenvalue problem method and the multichannel transfer matrix technique, we develop a general approach to study multichannel-multiband transport properties through multilayered systems. In this approach we deal simultaneously with all the accessible physical channels. We are thus able to distinguish and to calculate transmission amplitudes, t(ij), for each pair j,i of incoming and outgoing propagating modes. We apply this approach to study hole tunneling through single-barrier and multiple-barrier semiconductor heterostructures, modeled by a zero-biased (4x4) Kohn-Luttinger Hamiltonian. We calculate transmission coefficients and the Landauer conductance for systems with coupled and uncoupled channels. A very good agreement with experimental results is found when applied to double barrier resonant tunneling systems. We find interesting underbarrier interference and resonance effects.