Intersubband resonances in InAs/AlSb quantum wells: Selection rules, matrix elements, and the depolarization field

We present both theoretical and experimental results on the intersubband resonance in InAs/AlSb quantum wells. From a Kane (k . p) description of the band structure we investigate the effect of the large nonparabolicity and of the high Fermi wave vector on the selection rules and matrix elements. The 1-2 transition in parallel excitation (x) is shown to be very weak from simple parity arguments; in perpendicular excitation (z) the matrix element [z] is shown to be largely unaffected by nonparabolicity. The 1-3 transition turns out to be very weak in both geometries. Two band-gap engineering approaches to enhancing the parallel excitation of 1-2 are considered but the effect remains small as compared to the conventional z excitation. In z excitation the depolarization field condenses all the oscillator strength into essentially one sharp line despite the broadening expected from the nonparabolicity in the band dispersions. Inclusion of the depolarization field in the theory gives us good agreement with both the experimentally determined line shape and [z] matrix element.