Band-edge deformation potentials in a tight-binding framework

Abstract

We calculate, within the tight-binding approximation, hydrostatic and uniaxial deformation potentials for seven III-V compounds (GaAs, InAs, GaSb, AlSb, InSb, InP, and GaP). These deformation potentials are expressed in terms of (i) the usual tight-binding parameters describing the unstrained bulk, (ii) an analytical law for the dependence of these parameters upon distance, and (iii) (for the uniaxial [111] deformation potential only) the internal displacements. We show that it is possible to derive a "universal variation law" that provides deformation potentials in reasonable agreement with available experimental data.