Spectroscopy of GaAs/AlGaAs microstructures with submicron spatial resolution using a near-field scanning optical microscope

A near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM), which we built, is used to investigate 1–5-μm wide stripes with a 10-nm thick layer—a quantum well — on a GaAs surface. A map of the photoluminescence intensity is obtained synchronously with the topographic profile of the structures. The measured spatial distribution of the photoluminescence intensity is described satisfactorily in a model that takes into account carrier diffusion in the layer and the existence of a region with a short carrier lifetime near the side boundaries of the layer. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 7, 523–527 (10 April 1996)