Non-equilibrium Interface and Surface Dynamics

Mechanisms of Stranski-Krastanov Growth

Peter Smereka

University of Michigan

When growing quantum dots, most experimentalists report that quantum dots form by the Stranski-Krastanov (SK) growth mode: a certain number of monolayers must first be deposited before the quantum dots will form. In this talk, I will first outline the difficulties in modeling this growth mode with continuum formulations, then describe a model based on kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) and the connections between them. KMC simulations will be presented which clearly shows that this model can capture the SK growth mode. The simulations also show that entropy plays a crucial role in SK growth.

This is joint work with Arvind Baskaran.