Prediction of barrier localization in modulated nanowires

It is shown that the phenomenon of inversion recently discovered in a one-band model [L. C. Lew Yan Voon and M. Willatzen, J. Appl. Phys. 93, 9997 (2003)] is much more general and is present in both multiband theories and in the excited states. Predictions of the one-band and of a four-band model are in good agreement for the ground state. A critical radius of around 15 Angstrom (7 Angstrom) is obtained for holes in InGaAs/InP (GaAs/AlAs) modulated nanowires. This phenomenon should be readily observable in both optical spectroscopy and transport. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.