Effect of nonrelativistic interface Hamiltonian on optical transitions in broken-gap heterostructures

Using the Burt-Foreman envelope function theory and an eight-band k.p model, we have extended our previous work [Semenikhin et al. Phys. Rev. B 76, 035335 (2007)] on optical transitions in InAs/GaSb quantum wells grown along the [001] direction by completing the interface Hamiltonian with the inclusion of its nonrelativistic part. We found a substantial contribution of the nonrelativistic term to the originally forbidden spin-flip optical transitions. However, this nonrelativistic term produces only a minor modification of the lateral optical anisotropy.