Analysis and design of low-dimensional structures and devices using strain: I. Hydrostatic pressure effects

Hydrostatic pressure provides a method to vary controllably the electronic band structure of low-dimensional semiconductor systems. It can be used to determine absolute band-offsets and their pressure dependence. Tunnelling structures can be brought into resonance and the intrinsic loss mechanisms in lasers can be studied. The variation of impurity levels with pressure can be compared with theory and naturally occurring low-dimensional molecular systems can show a variety of effects including metallic conduction. Examples of such processes are briefly reviewed.