Coulomb effects in lattice-matched, strained, and strain-relieved low-dimensional semiconductors and their relevance for device simulation

The influence of Coulomb effects in the linear and nonlinear optical and electronic properties of semiconductors with variable effective dimensionality is discussed in conjunction with bandstructure engineering techniques. The combined influence of valence bandcoupling, quantum confinement and many body effects are analyzed in lattice-matched, strained, and strain-relived structures. Quasi-analytical results for linear/nonlinear absorption spectra are given for coherently coupled superlatices. Decoupled multiple quantum wells are treated through rigorous numerical methods and the results are compared with analytical solution in limiting cases. The theory is applied to the realistic simulation of lasers and optical computing devices.