Size quatized levels of the valence band and the optical gain in strained <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-AlGaAs/GaAsP/<Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-AlGaAs structures under uniaxial compression

The band structure, size quatized levels, and wave functions in the conduction and valence bands of strained n-Al _x Ga_{1 − x} As/GaAs _y P_{1 − y} /p-Al _x Ga_{1 − x} As (y = 0.84) heterostructures are calculated numerically upon a uniaxial compression along the 110] direction. The calculation indicates a sublinear increase of the effective optical gap in the GaAs_0.84P_0.16 quantum well, strong mixing of states of light and heavy holes, and merging of the corresponding ground states in the quantum well of the valence band under a pressure of 4.5–5 kbar. The calculation of matrix elements of the electron-photon interaction operator for a system of possible interband transitions permits one to determine the optical gain for the TE and TM modes. The increase in this coefficient by two to fourfold under uniaxial compression agrees with the previously published experimental data on the increase of the electroluminescence intensity.