The band structure of a chain of periodically ordered different quantum dots

Abstract

The paper introduces a model for a superlattice comprising periodically arranged quantum dots (QDs) and proposes a method for calculating the energy spectrum. This theory was applied to a chain of QDs. The study employed the effective mass approximation and solved the Schrödinger equation using the tight-binding model and nearest neighbor approximation. The energy spectra of electrons were determined as functions of the wave vector, and the theory facilitated the calculation of dispersion dependencies and bandwidths. The presence of different QDs resulted in the subdivision of the mini-zone into upper and lower zones. It was demonstrated and analyzed that the width of the upper zones consistently exceeds that of the lower ones. Furthermore, when the QDs possess identical sizes and materials, no forbidden zone is observed.