Modeling electronic and optical properties of III–V quantum dots—selected recent developments

Electronic properties of selected quantum dot (QD) systems are surveyed based on the multi-band k·p method, which we benchmark by direct comparison to the empirical tight-binding algorithm, and we also discuss the newly developed “linear combination of quantum dot orbitals” method. Furthermore, we focus on two major complexes: First, the role of antimony incorporation in InGaAs/GaAs submonolayer QDs and In(1−x)Ga(x) As(y)Sb(1−y)/GaP QDs, and second, the theory of QD-based quantum cascade lasers and the related prospect of room temperature lasing.