”Quantum Phenomena do not occur in a Hilbert space. They occur in a laboratory”. - Asher Peres
Semiconductor
physics is a laboratory to learn and discover the concepts of quantum
mechanics and thermodynamics, condensed matter physics, and materials
science, and the payoffs are almost immediate in the form of useful
semiconductor devices. Debdeep Jena has had the opportunity to work on
both sides of the fence - on the fundamental materials science and
quantum physics of semiconductors, and in their applications in
semiconductor electronic and photonic devices. In Quantum Physics of Semiconductors and Nanostructures, Jena uses this experience to make each topic as tangible and accessible as possible to students at all levels.
Consider
the simplest physical processes that occur in semiconductors: electron
or hole transport in bands and over barriers, collision of electrons
with the atoms in the crystal, or when electrons and holes annihilate
each other to produce a photon. The correct explanation of these
processes require a quantum mechanical treatment. Any shortcuts lead to
misconceptions that can take years to dispel, and sometimes become
roadblocks towards a deeper understanding and appreciation of the
richness of the subject. A typical introductory course on semiconductor
physics would then require prerequisites of quantum mechanics,
statistical physics and thermodynamics, materials science, and
electromagnetism. Rarely would a student have all this background when
(s)he takes a course of this nature in most universities. Jena's work
fills in these gaps and gives students the background and deeper
understanding of the quantum physics of semiconductors and
nanostructures.
I Fundamentals
1. And Off We Go!
2. Secrets of the Classical Electron
3. Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell
4. Damned Lies, and Statistics
5. Electrons in the Quantum World
6. Red or Blue pill: Befriending the Matrix
7. Perturbations to the Electron's Freedom
II Bands, Doping, and Heterostructures
8. Electrons in a Crystal get their Bands, Gaps and Masses
9. Bloch theorem, Bandstructure, and Quantum Currents
10. Crystal Clear: Bandstructure of the Empty Lattice
11. Tight-Binding Bandstructure
12. k . p Bandstructure
13. 1, 2, 3 ...: Pseudopotentials and Exact Bandstructure
14. Doping and Heterostructures: The Effective Mass Method
15. Carrier Statistics and Energy Band Diagrams
16. Controlling Electron Traffic in the k-Space
III Quantum Electronics with Semiconductors
17. Game of Modes: Quantized R, L, and C
18. Junction Magic: Schottky, pn and Bipolar Transistors
19. Zeroes and Ones: The Ballistic Transistor
20. Fermi's Golden Rule
21. No Turning Back: The Boltzmann Transport Equation
22. Taking the Heat: Phonons and Electron-Phonon Interactions
23. Scattering, Mobility, and Velocity Saturation
24. Through the Barrier: Tunneling & Avalanches
25. Running Circles: Quantum Magnetotransport
IV Quantum Photonics with Semiconductors
26. Let there be Light: Maxwell Equations
27. Light-Matter Interaction
28. Heavenly Light: Solar Cells and Photodetectors
29. Reach for the stars: Lasers and LEDs
30. Every End is a New Beginning
