Effects of coherency strain on the band gap of pseudomorphic InxGa1−xAs on (001) InP

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Abstract
The effects of lattice mismatch induced coherency strain on the direct (Γ) band gap of InxGa1−xAs alloys for commensurate growth on (001) InP substrates are presented. It is found that the low‐temperature (T≊2 K) band gap of the strained ternary varies between 1.0 and 0.48 eV for 0≤x≤1.0. The band‐gap difference ΔEg between the strained ternary and cubic InP varies therefore between 0.42 and 0.94 eV. The partitioning of ΔEg between conduction and valence bands has yet to be determined for nonlattice‐matched compositions (i.e., x≠0.53). In view of the large calculated variation in ΔEg it is anticipated that coherency strain may provide a means for tailoring band discontinuities in this technologically important materials system. Potential applications are briefly reviewed.