Entropies associated with electron emission from InAs/GaAs quantum dots

Entropies associated with the transition of electrons into and out of InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are calculated by considering the temperature dependence of energy eigenvalues due to strain and energy band offset variations. It is found that, for InAs/GaAs quantum dots with base/height dimensions of 20/10 nm, the contribution from the surrounding lattice to entropy is smaller than 4×10-5eV/K for the temperature region below 100 K, where most measurements of thermal emission rates are performed. Including the electron degeneracy, the total entropy change has an upper limit of 1×10-4eV/K when releasing the first electron from the s-shell, while the second released s-electron is connected with an entropy change not larger than the absolute value of -2×10-5eV/K.