Exchange-induced splitting of radiative exciton levels in a single quantum wire

We report on polarization-resolved micro-photoluminescence experiments performed on a single GaAs/GaAlAs V-shaped quantum wire. At low temperature the micro-photoluminescence spectra are composed of sharp peaks corresponding to excitons localized in naturally formed quantum boxes. We observed splittings of the radiative doublet of these exciton levels into two linearly polarized states due to the exchange interaction. The exchange splittings are of the order of 100 μeV. A theoretical model of the exchange interaction on localized states in quantum wires is developed. It shows that the exchange splitting is characteristic of the uniaxial anisotropy of the localized states and thus related to their extension along the wire axis. The experimental results are discussed within the frame of this model.     

Micro-Photoluminescence Confocal Mapping of Single V-Grooved GaAs Quantum Wire

We perform the micro-photoluminescence measurement at low temperatures and a scanning optical mapping with high spatial resolution of a single V-grooved GaAs quantum wire modified by the selective ion-implantation and rapid thermally annealing. While the mapping shows the luminescences respectively from the quantum wires and from quantum well areas between quantum wires in general, the micro-photoluminescence at liquid He temperatures reveals a plenty of spectral structures of the PL band for a single quantum wire. The spectral structures are attributed to the inhomogeneity and non-uniformity of both the space structure and compositions of real wires as well as the defects nearby the interface between quantum wire and surrounding quantum well structures. All these make the excitons farther localized in quasi-zero-dimensional quantum potential boxes related to these non-uniformity and/or defects. The results also demonstrate the ability of micro-photoluminescence measurement and mapping for the characterization of both opto-electronic and structural properties of real quantum wires.     

Energy sublevels in an Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs/Al0.5Ga0.5As quantum wire

We report the successful fabrication of a V-grooveAl_0.5Ga_0.5As/GaAs/Al_0.5Ga_0.5As quantum wire system and the temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The PL spectra are dominated by four features at 681, 642, 635 and 621 nm attributed to the luminescences from quantum wire, top, vertical and side-wall well regions by micro-PL measurements. By the calculations of the energy structure, discrete states (localized sublevels) in the quantum wire region and continuum states (extended along the side-wall and vertical quantum wells) in side-wall and vertical quantum wells have been obtained in both the conduction and valence bands. The calculated excitation energies explain very well the peak positions and their temperature dependence in the photoluminescence measurements.     

Carrier scattering by Auger mechanism in a single quantum wire

We report on time-resolved microphotoluminescence experiments in a single GaAs/GaAlAs V-shaped quantum wire as a function of optical excitation intensity. At low pump power we observe that excitons are localized in quantum boxes formed by the local potential minima existing along the wire axis. As the pump power is increased, state filling of the lowest lying levels of the boxes appears. When two carriers occupy the first excited level of the box, a very efficient Auger scattering occurs, leading to a transfer of carriers from one box to another neighbouring one. The intradot Auger scattering time has been measured and is of the same order of magnitude as the LA-phonon emission rate. Received 5 February 2001     

Correlated photons from multi-carrier complexes in GaAs quantum dots

We have studied micro-photoluminescence spectra of a self-assembled single GaAs quantum dot under 8 K. With strong pulsed excitation, the micro-photoluminescence spectrum shows bright emission lines originated from an exciton, a positively charged exciton, and a biexciton, together with weak lower energy emissions reflecting multi-excitonic structures with more carriers. We have identified the origins of these weak emission lines, and showed the existence of charged biexciton states, through single photon correlation measurements and excitation power dependence of the photoluminescence intensity. In addition, investigating the radiative recombination process of the charged biexciton, we have determined the electron–hole exchange energy in the GaAs quantum dot.     

显微光谱研究半绝缘GaAs带边以上E0+Δ0光学性质

通过显微光致发光技术和显微拉曼(Raman)技术研究了半绝缘GaAs (SI-GaAs)晶体的带边附近的发光. 在光荧光谱中，观察到在高于GaAs带边0.348eV处有一个新的荧光峰. 结合Raman谱指认此发光峰来源于GaAs的E₀＋Δ₀能级的非平衡荧光发射. 同时, 通过研究E₀＋Δ₀能级的偏振、激发光强度依赖关系，以及温度依赖关系说明E₀＋Δ₀能级与带边E₀共享了共同的导带位置Γ₆，同时这也说明在GaAs中主要是导带的性质决定了材料的光学行为.同时，通过与n-GaAs和δ掺杂GaAs相比较，半绝缘GaAs晶体的E₀＋Δ₀能级的发光峰更能反映GaAs电子能级高临界点E₀＋Δ₀的能量位置和物理性质. 研究结果说明显微光致发光技术是研究半导体材料带边以上能级光学性质的一种非常有力的研究工具. 关键词： 半绝缘GaAs 显微光致发光 自旋轨道分裂     

Quantum wire heterostructure for optoelectronic applications

Quantum wire (QWR) heterostructures suitable for optoelectronic applications should meet a number of requirements, including defect free interfaces, large subband separation, long carrier lifetime, efficient carrier capture. The structural and opticl properties of GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/GaAs quantum wire (QWR) heterostructures grown by organometallic chemical vapor deposition on nonplanr substrates, which satisfy many of these criteria, are described. These crescent-shaped QWRs are formed in situ during epitaxial growth resulting in virtually defect free interfaces. Effective wire widths as small as 10nm have been achieved, corresponding to electron subband separations greater than K_BT at room temperature. The enhanced density of states at the QWR subbands manifests itself in higher optical absorption and emission as visualized in photoluminescence (PL), PL excitation, amplified spontaneous emission and lasing spectra of these structures. Effective carrier capture into the wires via connected quantum well regions, which is important for enhancing the otherwise extremely small capture cross section of these wires, has also been observed. Room temperature operation of GaAs/AlGaAs and strained InGaAs/GaAs QWR lasers with threshold currents as low as 0.6mA has been demonstrated.     

Elementary excitations in multiple quantum wire structures

We calculate the plasmon dispersion of electrons in multiple quantum wire structures. Wave function overlapping effects between different wires are neglected. The Coulomb interaction potential is calculated for a model with circular wire area. Analytical results for the excitation spectrum of electron multiple quantum wire structures are obtained within an one-subband model. Landau damping of intrasubband plasmons is discussed. Results for an electron superlattice within a two-subband model are presented and the coupling of intersubband plasmons with intrasubband plasmons is calculated. We compare the theoretical results with recent Raman measurements of intrasubband plasmons in Al _x Ga_1–x As/GaAs wire superlattices. The plasmon dispersion for boson multiple quantum wire structures also is calculated.     

Inter-island energy transfer and in-plane exciton migration in AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wells detected by exciton dynamics

We present the results of optical, steady-state and time-resolved studies of photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation in high-quality Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs quantum wells in which the presence of large (larger than the exciton radius) atomically flat islands can be inferred, identical to the case of interrupted MBE growth. Migration of excitons towards lower-lying energy states induced by local potential fluctuations and/or progressive localisation has been revealed and the transition rate between quantum well regions 24 to 25 monolayers thick has been derived to be 290 ps⁻¹.     

Electron energy spectra in an elliptic quantum wire and elliptic nanotube

In the effective mass approximation, the electron spectra in an elliptic quantum wire and elliptic semiconductor nanotube are investigated. An exact electron energy spectrum in the GaAs elliptic quantum wire and elliptic semiconductor nanotube with impenetrable walls is obtained and an approximate solution of the Schrödinger equation is derived for a finite potential barrier height in the GaAs/Al _x Ga _1?x As elliptic quantum wire. It is demonstrated that the ellipticity of the quantum wire and nanotube results in removal of degeneration of the quasiparticle energy spectrum. Dependences of energies of even and odd states on the ratio of the ellipse semiaxes are nonmonotonic in character. In the limiting case of degeneration of elliptic quantum wires and nanotubes into circular ones, the quasi-particle energy spectrum coincides with the corresponding spectrum in cylindrical nanosystems.     

V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线结构的微区光致发光谱研究

在室温下用显微光致发光的方法对单根V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线进行了沿垂直于量子线方向的 空间分辨扫描测试,观察到各种量子结构的光致发光谱随空间位置的变化.在量子线区域附 近观察到来自量子线(QWR)、颈部量子阱(NQWL)和垂直量子阱(VQWL)等各种结构的发光,而 在距离量子线约1μm以远的发光光谱表现出侧面量子阱(SQWL)的发光.对全部发光光谱用高 斯线形进行了拟合,发现QWR和SQWL的发光包含了两个荧光峰,将它们分别归诸为电子到轻 、重空穴的跃迁.拟合后发光强度的空间变化直接确定了与量子线 关键词： V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线 显微光致发光 空间分辨扫描     

Kinetics of indirect photoluminescence in GaAs/AlxGa1−x As double quantum wells in a random potential with a large amplitude

The kinetics of indirect photoluminescence of GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells, characterized by a random potential with a large amplitude (the linewidth of the indirect photoluminescence is comparable to the binding energy of an indirect exciton) in magnetic fields B≤12 T at low temperatures T≥1.3 K is investigated. It is found that the indirect-recombination time increases with the magnetic field and decreases with increasing temperature. It is shown that the kinetics of indirect photoluminescence corresponds to single-exciton recombination in the presence of a random potential in the plane of the double quantum wells. The variation of the nonradiative recombination time is discussed in terms of the variation of the transport of indirect excitons to nonradiative recombination centers, and the variation of the radiative recombination time is discussed in terms of the variation of the population of optically active excitonic states and the localization radius of indirect excitons. The photoluminescence kinetics of indirect excitons, which is observed in the studied GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells for which the random potential has a large amplitude, is qualitatively different from the photoluminescence kinetics of indirect excitons in AlAs/GaAs wells and GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells with a random potential having a small amplitude. The temporal evolution of the photoluminescence spectra in the direct and indirect regimes is studied. It is shown that the evolution of the photoluminescence spectra corresponds to excitonic recombination in a random potential. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 1890–1905 (May 1999)     

Carbon incorporation in GaAs/Al0.2Ga0.8As triple quantum wells and its effect on laser performance

We report an investigation of the interface quality of the Al_0.2Ga_0.8As/GaAs triple quantum wells (QWs) grown on the GaAs substrates 0° and 6° off (100) towards 〈111〉A at a high CO environment, using the photoluminescence technique. The direct correlation between the quantum well quality and the performance of lasers which contain such quantum wells as an active region is also reported. It is found that impurity-related photoluminescence is observed only in the sample grown on the exact (100) GaAs substrate but not in the tilted one, as confirmed by temperature dependence results. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the intrinsic luminescence is as high as 9.0 meV in the 0° tilted samples and decreases to 3.10 meV in the samples misoriented 6°, indicating a remarkable difference in their interface quality. The impurities incorporated into the interfaces of the QWs are carbon, incorporation of which becomes unobservable by photoluminescence when the quantum wells are grown on substrates misoriented by 6° degrees. The threshold current and quantum efficiency of the laser devices with Al_0.2Ga_0.8As/GaAs quantum wells as their active region are found to be directly related to the interfacial quality of the quantum wells.     

Influence of the cap layer thickness on photoluminescence properties in strained InGaAs/GaAs single quantum wells

The influence of the GaAs cap layer thickness on the luminescence properties in strained In_0.20Ga_0.80As/GaAs single quantum well (SQW) structures has been investigated using temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The luminescence peak is shifted to lower energy as the GaAs cap layer thickness decreases, which demonstrates the effect of the GaAs cap layer thickness on the strain of InGaAs/GaAs single quantum wells (SQW). We find the PL quenching mechanism is the thermal activation of electron hole pairs from the wells into the GaAs cap layer for the samples with thicker GaAs cap layer, while in sample with thinner GaAs cap layer exciton trapping on misfit dislocations is dominated.     

Laser effects on the donor states in V-shaped and inverse V-shaped quantum wells

Laser effects on the electronic states in GaAs/ Ga_1−xAl_xAs V-shaped and inverse V-shaped quantum wells under a static electric field are studied using the transfer matrix method. The dependence of the donor binding energy on the laser field strength and the density of states associated with the impurity is also calculated. It is demonstrated that in inverse V-shaped quantum wells under electric fields, with an asymmetric distribution of the electron density, the position of the binding energy maximum versus the impurity location in the structure can be adjusted by the intensity of the laser field. This effect could be used to tune the electronic levels in quantum wells operating under electric and laser fields without modifying the physical size of the structures.     

On the theory of the molecular states of <Emphasis Type="Italic">A</Emphasis><Superscript>+</Superscript>-centers in semiconductor quantum wells

The spectra of photoluminescence in the GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells with A ₂⁺-centers are calculated within the model of the zero radius potential. It is shown that the model of A ₂⁺-centers can adequately describe the experimental data that point to the existence of molecular states of A ⁺-centers in 2D GaAs/AlGaAs structures.     

Clear experimental evidence for boundary and impurity scattering related crossover field scales in GaAs/AlGaAs split-gate wires

We study the magnetic field dependence of the correlation field ΔB_cand amplitude δgof the conductance fluctuations, observed in the low temperature magnetoresistance of GaAs/AlGaAs split-gate wires. Near zero field, universality of quantum interference is retained and the magnetoresistance shows universal conductance fluctuations. At high magnetic fields, although the discrete Landau level quantization becomes resolved. ΔB_cand δgare found to increase linearly with magnetic field, with a slope which depends upon the nature of electron scatterings in the wire.     

Observation of the Fermi-edge singularity in n-doped single asymmetric quantum wells: the influence of residual acceptors

The investigation of the evolution of the photoluminescence spectra, in single asymmetric quantum wells (SAQWs), from a typical emission spectrum to a Fermi-edge singularity, is carried out as a function of both the optical excitation intensity and the temperature. The three samples used here are n-doped, low carrier density (below 5×10¹¹ cm⁻²), GaAs/Al_0.35Ga_0.65As SAQWs grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The strong collective recombination of electrons with different k states up to the Fermi wave vector as well as the optical signature of the Fermi-edge singularity is observed in two samples containing residual acceptors inside the GaAs SAQW. In contrast, a third sample containing no experimental evidence of residual acceptors in the GaAs SAQW shows no optical signature of the Fermi-edge singularity.     

Etching temperature dependence of optical properties of the electrochemically etched n-GaAs

The GaAs granular films have been prepared by electrochemical anodic etching of n-GaAs in HCl electrolyte at different etching temperatures. The microstructure and optical properties of the films were investigated by micro-Raman spectrum, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Raman spectra reveal marked redshift and broadening, which could be explained by phonon confinement model. Results show the GaAs nanocrystalline films have formed during the anodic etching process under certain chemical conditions. Two “infrared” PL bands at ∼860 nm and ∼920 nm and a strongly enhanced visible PL band envelope around 550 nm were observed in the film prepared at etching temperature of 50 °C. The “green” PL band envelope is attributed to both quantum confinement in GaAs nanocrystals and PL of Ga₂O₃ and As₂O₃. The results reveal that the energy band structure of GaAs granular films is closely related to the etching temperatures. PACS 81.07.Bc; 78.30.Fs; 78.55.Cr     

Time-resolved screening of the piezoelectric field in InGaAs/GaAs V-shaped quantum wires of variable profile

InGaAs/GaAs V-shaped quantum wires grown in grooves with either (111) or (411) sidewalls have been studied by ps-transient photoluminescence as a function of the excitation intensity. The optical nonlinearity associated with the screening of the internal piezoelectric field is temporally monitored by the blue shift of the spectrally resolved photoluminescence, occurring in the first 150 ps after the laser pulse, followed by a red shift at longer delays. Such an energy shift strongly depends on the photoexcited carrier density and reaches a maximum value of about 14 meV in the (411) wires. Despite their larger piezoelectric field, we observe a smaller energy shift in wires with (111) sidewalls, due to the enhanced confinement which localizes the wire wavefunction at the bottom of the groove. The observed energy shifts are consistent with the theoretical calculation of the polarization charge density induced by the strain via the piezoelectric effect.