Multiband envelope theory is reformulated in terms of a basis of total envelope and zone-center Bloch angular momentum. The k⋅p operator is scalar with respect to the total-angular-momentum operator and hence is block diagonal in its eigenbasis. The projections of the Hamiltonian into the F=1/2 and the F=3/2 subspaces of total angular momentum are derived and quantum-dot band structure is calculated in GaAs(AlGaAs) and InAs(GaSb) systems as an example application of the formalism.

• Received 7 December 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.65.239