Magneto-optical properties of quantum rods and superlattices

We show how to compute the optical functions (die complex magneto-susceptibility, dielectric function, magneto-reflection spectra) for semiconductor quantum rods (QRDs) and superlattices (SLs) exposed to a uniform magnetic field in the growth direction, including the excitonic effects. The method uses the microscopic calculation of nanostructure excitonic wave functions and energy levels, and the macroscopic real density matrix approach, to compute the electromagnetic fields and susceptibilities. The electron-hole screened Coulomb potential and the valence band structure are taken into account. The novelty of our approach is that the solution is obtained in terms of known one-particle electron and hole eigenfunctions, those omitting the complicated problem of the center-of-mass and relative motion separation in the magnetic field. Our approach applies, first of all, for low dimensional systems (QDS, QRDs, nanorings etc.) where, due to confinement effects accompanied by the e-h Coulomb interaction, the separation of the relative- and center-of-mass motion is not possible. The convergence of the proposed method is examined. Numerical calculations have been performed for a Ga1-xAlxAs/GaAs SL and a CdSe QRD. (C) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.