Tunneling Studies of Two-dimensional States in Semiconductors with Inverted Band Structure: Spin-orbit Splitting and Resonant Broadening

Abstract

The results of tunneling studies of the energy spectrum of two-dimensional (2D) states in a surface quantum well in a semiconductor with inverted band structure are presented. The energy dependence of quasimomentum of the 2D states over a wide energy range is obtained from the analysis of tunneling conductivity oscillations in a quantizing magnetic field. The spin-orbit splitting of the energy spectrum of 2D states, due to inversion asymmetry of the surface quantum well, and the broadening of 2D states at the energies, when they are in resonance with the heavy hole valence band, are investigated in structures with different strengths of the surface quantum well. A quantitative analysis is carried out within the framework of the Kane model of the energy spectrum. The theoretical results are in good agreement with the tunneling spectroscopy data. © 1996 The American Physical Society.