Strong linear-k valence-band mixing at semiconductor heterojunctions

This paper examines linear-k terms in the Gamma (8) valence-band Hamiltonian for heterostructures of zincblende-type semiconductors. In bulk crystals such terms are known to be extremely small, due to their origin as relativistic perturbations from d and f orbitals. However, in heterostructures there is a nonvanishing contribution from p orbitals. This contribution is an order of magnitude larger than the corresponding bulk term, and it should give rise to an optical anisotropy comparable to (although smaller than) that seen in recent experiments on the quantum-well Pockels effect.