Quantum Heterostructures: Microelectronics and Optoelectronics

"Welcome to the world of quantum-based devices!" This is how Vladimir V. Mitin, Viatcheslav A. Kochelap, and Michael A. Stroscio begin Quantum Heterostructures. The book appears at an opportune time: President Clinton's January 2000 speech at Caltech, in which he announced the "National Nanotechnology Initiative," has buoyed the field of nanostructure research and is sure to attract attention and activity to the area of nanostructures and quantum-based devices.

This book introduces the fundamental physical principles underlying quantum heterostructures and their applications to microelectronics and optoeletronics. The authors start out by reviewing the trends that have driven miniaturization of microelectronics into the nanoscale regime. They then develop the theoretical basis for nanoelectronics by introducing the essential fundamentals of quantum mechanics and solid-state physics.

In the following few chapters, these fundamentals are applied to the physics of quantum heterostructures. Here, the reader is introduced to the electronic states in low-dimensional semiconductor structures and to their electronic transport and optical properties.

Building on this understanding of the relevant physical phenomena, the authors introduce electronic and optoelectronic device applications. The discussion of electronic devices includes more conventional (heterostructure) bipolar and field-effect devices and more advanced resonant-tunneling and single-electron devices.

Finally, the nonlinear optical properties and electro-optical effects in heterostructures and their applications are discussed. These include semiconductor heterostructure and quantum-dot lasers, the quantum-cascade laser, and self-electro-optic-effect devices.

Overall, the emphasis of Quantum Heterostructures is on physical principles as they relate to device behavior. The authors do a good job of explaining the various physical phenomena and in motivating their device applications. This book is written in an almost conversational style, whereby the reader gains the authors' perspectives and their insights into the field.

It complements other recent introductory texts, such as Low-Dimensional Semiconductors: Materials, Physics, Technology, Devices, by Michael J. Kelly (Oxford U. Press, 1995), and The Physics of Low-Dimensional Semiconductors: An Introduction, by John H. Davies (Cambridge U. Press, 1998). Readers interested in further details on device behavior and technological issues will find in Quantum Heterostructures the physical background, but they will have to supplement it with other, more focused texts, such as: Modern Semiconductor Device Physics, edited by S. M. Sze (Wiley, 1998); Advanced Theory of Semiconductor Devices, by Karl Hess (IEEE Press, 1999); Transport in Nanostructures, by David K. Ferry and Stephen M. Goodnick (Cambridge U. Press, 1997); and Semiconductor Optoelectronics: Physics and Technology, by Jasprit Singh (McGraw-Hill, 1995).

Mitin, Kochelap, and Stroscio are all accomplished researchers in the field of semiconductor heterostructures and devices, with particular emphasis on electronic transport theory. They have contributed pioneering papers on phonons in low-dimensional semiconductor structures, and this background is reflected in this book's extensive coverage of lattice vibrations in semiconductor heterostructures. This topic is not usually covered at this level of detail in other texts. Even though the authors do not make this point themselves, their treatment of phonons might prove to be of particular importance to researchers trying to find a solid-state implementation in the field of quantum computing, since lattice vibrations are the main roadblock to maintaining the desired coherence of the electronic states.

This book will be most useful to the physicist who has an interest in learning about nanoelectronics and quantum devices and who may contemplate joining the ranks of researchers in nanostructure physics and technology. It will also be of interest to the practicing professional in the field of microelectronics and optoelectronics. This book contains homework problems and is suitable as a textbook at the graduate (perhaps also advanced undergraduate) level.

In summary, this book provides a thorough introduction to the physical principles of nanostructures and their device applications. It should serve as a useful starting point for those individuals wanting to learn about the current thinking and the state of the art in nanoelectronics.