Strain analysis and electronic structure of short-period strain-balanced GaAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$/InAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x }$ superlattices lattice-matched to InP(001)

A theoretical strain analysis and investigation of the electronic band structure in the vicinity of the $\Gamma $-point of GaAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$/InAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$ short period superlattices strain-balanced to (001) InP is performed. Conditions for strain balancing to create nearly zero strained superlattice on InP is developed by minimizing the total strain energy of the system. A six-band Kane Hamiltonian and a band anti-crossing model, modified for the strain effects are used to describe the electronic states of the highly strained zincblend GaAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$ and InAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$ ternaries. The evolution of the conduction band minima and valence subbands maxima of GaAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$ and InAs$_{1-x}$N$_{x}$ as a function of the nitrogen composition (x$<$0.05) indicate the occurrence of a type I band alignment for the superlattice involving the $m_{j}=\pm $3/2 valence subbands and a type II band alignment for the one that involves the $m_{j}=\pm $1/2 valence subbands. Room temperature operating wavelengths, as characterized by the energy gap between the first electron miniband and hole minibands,of these short period superlattices are predicted to extend beyond 3 $\mu $m for x =0.05.