Luminescent Characteristics of Near Ultraviolet InGaN/GaN MQWs Grown on Grooved Sapphire Substrates Fabricated by Wet Chemical Etching

InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells （MQWs） are grown on planar and maskless periodically grooved sapphires by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy （MOCVD）. High-resolution x-ray rocking curves and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） are adopted to characterize the film quality. Compared with the MQWs grown on planar sapphire, the sample grown on grooved sapphire shows better crystalline quality： a remarkable reduction of dislocation densities is achieved. Meanwhile, the MQWs grown on grooved sapphire show two times larger PL intensity at room temperature. Temperature-dependent PL measurements are adopted to investigate the luminescence properties. The luminescence thermal quenching based on a fit to the Arrhenius plot of the normalized integrated PL intensity over the measured temperature range suggests that the nonradiative recombination centres （NRCs） are greatly reduced for the sample grown on grooved sapphire. We assume that the reduction of dislocations which act as NRCs is the main reason for the sample grown on pattern sapphire having higher PL intensity.     

Detecting spatially localized excitons in InGaN quantum well structures with a micro-photoluminescence technique

Spatially localized excitons are observed in InGaN quantum well structures at 4 K by using a micro-photoluminescence (PL) technique. By combining PL and nano-lithographic techniques, we are able to detect PL signals with a 0.2 μm spatial resolution. A sharp PL line (linewidth of <0.4 meV) is clearly obtained, which originates from a single localized exciton induced by a quantum dot like a local potential minimum position. Sharp PL spectra detected in three QWs with different indium compositions confirm that there are exciton localization effects in quantum wells in the blue-green (about 2.60 eV, 477 nm) to purple (about 3.05 eV, 406 nm) regions.     

Giant optical anisotropy in R-plane GaN/AlGaN quantum wells caused by valence band mixing effect

This study investigates the optical anisotropy spectrum in the R-plane (i.e., the -oriented layer plane) of GaN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum wells of different widths. The optical matrix elements in the wurtzite quantum wells are calculated using the k⋅p finite difference scheme. The calculations show that the valence band mixing effect produces giant in-plane optical anisotropy in -oriented GaN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum wells with a narrow width. The nature of the in-plane optical anisotropy is found to be dependent on the well width. Specifically, it is found that the anisotropy changes from x^′-polarization to y^′-polarization as the well width increases.     

Gain mechanisms in field‐free InGaN layers grown on sapphire and bulk GaN substrate

The gain mechanisms and recombination dynamics of InGaN layers strongly depend on the structural properties of the substrate material. The 4.5 nm and 9.5 nm thick layers were grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition on two different substrates (sapphire and GaN) with different dislocation densities. Time‐resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy at high excitation densities identifies the saturation of nonradiative recombination centers through excited carriers as a major gain mechanism. The prime argument is an unusual nonexponential luminescence decay. This was confirmed by a lower threshold of the optical gain for the structures grown on GaN with lower dislocation densities. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Giant optical anisotropy in M-plane GaN/AlGaN quantum wells due to crystal-field effect

The optical polarization of GaN/AlGaN wurtzite quantum wells in various orientations is studied using an arbitrarily-oriented [hkil] Hamiltonian potential matrix. The optical matrix elements in the wurtzite quantum wells are calculated using the k⋅p finite difference scheme. The results reveal the presence of giant in-plane optical anisotropy (polarized normal to [0001]) in the M-plane (i.e., the -oriented layer plane) GaN/Al_0.2Ga_0.8N quantum well, due to the positive crystal-field split energy effect (ΔCR>0). The present theoretical results are consistent with the photoluminescence measurements presented in the literature [B. Rau, et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 77 (2000) 3343].     

Kinetic effects in recombination of optical excitations in disordered quantum heterostructures: Theory and experiment

An overview of recent experimental and theoretical results on stationary and time-dependent photoluminescence spectra in disordered semiconductor heterostructures is presented. In particular, temperature-dependent peak position and linewidth of the luminescence spectra, as well as the luminescence intensity are considered along with the time evolution of the luminescence intensity after pulsed excitation. Emphasis is given on the comparison between experimental and theoretical results aiming at a characterization of disorder in the underlying structures.     

Inter-Layer Energy Transfer through Wetting-Layer States in Bi-layer InGaAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Structures with Thick Barriers

The inter-layer energy transfer in a bi-layer InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot structure with a thick GaAs barrier is studied using temperature-dependent photoluminescence. The abnormal enhancement of the photoluminescence of the QDs in the layer with a larger amount of coverage considering the resonant Forster energy transfer between the at 110K is observed, which can be explained by wetting layer states at elevated temperatures.     

Characteristics of High In-Content InGaN Alloys Grown by MOCVD

InN and In0.46 Ca0.54N films are grown on sapphire with a CaN buffer by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD）. Both high resolution x-ray diffraction and high resolution transmission electron microscopy results reveal that these films have a hexagonal structure of single crystal. The thin InN film has a high mobility of 4 75 cm^2V^-1s^-1 and that oflno.46 Gao.54N is 163 cm^2 V^-1s^-1. Room-temperat ure photoluminescence measurement of the InN film shows a peak at 0.72eV, confirming that a high quality InN film is fabricated for applications to full spectrum solar cells.     

Ultrafast all-optical polarization switching based on “virtual excitation” of InGaAs(P) MQWs

All-optical polarization switches based on near-resonant excitation have been demonstrated recently, which operate without significant real carriers excited in MQWs so as to avoid carriers accumulation. In this paper, we focus our investigation on the switch adopting InGaAsP MQWs because it could be compatible with the optical communication system. Our theoretical analysis is restricted to χ³ regime (i.e., the lowest-order nonlinear regime) and based on the dynamics-controlled truncation (DCT) scheme which provides a formalism for studying the coherent dynamics in weakly-nonlinear coherent optics of semiconductors. By using the theoretical model based on DCT theory, the switching action was simulated. With this theoretical model, we study the respective contributions of phase space filling and Hartree-Fock mean field as main terms of the optical Stark effect to the switching process, then exhibit the influence of delay time and control intensity for the switching response.     

Temperature dependence of indirect-exciton luminescence in in-plane magnetic field

We report on a magneto-luminescence on a double quantum well subject to an in-plane magnetic field. The attention is paid to the properties of interwell excitons, which are indirect in the real space and which become indirect in the reciprocal space as well when a finite in-plane magnetic field is applied. Such indirect exciton states become optically inactive unless some relaxation mechanisms of their momentum appear. The experiment is carried out on a sample where, as reported previously, the radiative recombination of indirect excitons is possible due to their localization or via collisions with structural defects. The experimental data presented here, measured at various temperatures, favour the latter mechanism which is less sensitive to the system temperature in comparison with the former one.     

Abnormal Energy Dependence of Photoluminescence Decay Time in InGaN Epilayer

We employ photoluminescence (PL) and time-resolved PL to study exciton localization effect in InGaN epilayers.By measuring the exciton decay time as a function of the monitored emission energy at different temperatures,we have found unusual behaviour of the energy dependence in the PL decay process. At low temperature, the measured PL decay time increases with the emission energy. It decreases with the emission energy at 200K, and remains nearly constant at the intermediate temperature of 12OK. We have studied the dot size effect on the radiative recombination time by calculating the temperature dependence of the exciton recombination lifetime in quantum dots, and have found that the observed behaviour can be well correlated to the exciton localization in quantum dots. This suggestion is further supported by steady state PL results.     

Single-Photon Emission at Liquid Nitrogen Temperature from a Single InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot

We report on the single photon emission from single InAs/GaAs self-assembled Stranski-Krastanow quantum dots up to 80 K under pulsed and continuous wave excitations. At temperature 8OK, the second-order correlation function at zero time delay, g^（2）（0）, is measured to be 0.422 for pulsed excitation. At the same temperature under continuous wave excitation, the photon antibunching effect is observed. Thus, our experimental results demonstrate a promising potential application of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots in single photon emission at liquid nitrogen temperature.     

Properties of Strain Compensated Symmetrical Triangular Quantum Wells Composed of InGaAs/InAs Chirped Superlattice Grown Using Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We investigate the properties of symmetrical triangular quantum wells composed of InGaAs/InAs chirped superlattice, which is grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy via digital alloy method. In the quantum well structure tensile AlInGaAs are used as barriers to partially compensate for the significant compressive strain in the wells, the strain compensation effects are confirmed by x-ray measurement. The photoluminescence spectra of the sample are dominated by the excitonic recombination peak in the whole temperature range. The thermal quenching, peak energy shift and line-width broadening of the PL spectra are analysed in detail, the mechanisms are discussed.     

Temperature Dependence of Photoluminescence from Single and Ensemble InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots

We investigate the temperature dependence of photoluminescence from single and ensemble InAs/GaAs quantum dots systematically. As temperature increases, the exciton emission peak for single quantum dot shows broadening and redshift. For ensemble quantum dots, however, the exciton emission peak shows narrowing and fast redshift. We use a simple steady-state rate equation model to simulate the experimental data of photoluminescence spectra. It is confirmed that carrier-phonon scattering gives the broadening of the exciton emission peak in single quantum dots while the effects of carrier thermal escape and retrapping play an important role in the narrowing and fast redshift of the exciton emission peak in ensemble quantum dots.     

Growth and Characterization of InN Thin Films on Sapphire by MOCVD

Indium nitride thin films are grown on sapphire substrates by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition （MOCVD） By employing three-step layer buffers, the mirror-like layers on two-inch sapphire wafers have been obtained. The structural, optical and electrical characteristics of InN are investigated by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence and infrared optical absorption. The photoluminescence and the absorption studies of the materials reveal a marked energy bandgap structure around 0.70eV at room temperature. The room-temperature Hall mobility and carrier concentration of the film are typically 939 cm^2 /Vs, and 3.9 × 1018cm^-3, respectively.     

Optical spectra in the region of exciton resonances in quantum wells and quantum dots of In0.3Ga0.7As/GaAs heterostructures

The transparency, reflection and luminescence spectra of In_0.3Ga_0.7As structures with 8 nm thickness and quantum wells limited by the barrier layer GaAs of a 9 nm (upper layer) and 100 nm (bottom layer) thickness had been studied in the region of photon energy 0.5–1.6 eV. Lines associated with the transitions hh,lh1-e1(1s,2s,3s), hh2,lh2-e2(1s,2s,3s), hh1,lh1-e2(1s) and hh3,lh3-e3(1s) had been revealed in reflection spectra. The shapes of the reflection and transparency lines had been calculated using a single oscillator model of dispersion relations and the Kramers–Kronig integrals. The binding energy of hh,lh1-e1 excitons, the effective mass m_hh^∗ and m_lh^∗ and the damping factor for the optical transitions to QW and QD had been determined. The lifetime of charge carriers on quantum dots varies in the range of 0.04–0.1 ps, while the radiative lifetime of excitons in quantum wells in the considered structure is around 2 ps.     

Effect of GaAs/GaSb Combination Strain-Reducing Layer on Self-Assembled InAs Quantum Dots

Self-assembled quantum dots capping with a GaAs/Gasb combined strain-reduced layer （CSRL） are grown by MBE. Their structural and optical properties are investigated by AFM and photoluminescence （PL）. PL measurements have shown that stronger emission about 1.3μm can be obtained by Sb irradiation and capping QDs with 3 ML GaAs/2 ML GaSh CSRL at room temperature. The full width at half maximum （FWHM） of the PL spectrum is about 20.2 meV （19.9 meV） at room temperature （2OK）, indicating that the QDs have high uniform, The result of FWHM is much better than the recently reported result, which is due to the fact that lower QD growth rate and growth interruption after the QDs deposition are adopted in our experiments.     

Effect of Interface Roughness and Dislocation Density on Electroluminescence Intensity of InGaN Multiple Quantum Wells

Effects of interface roughness and dislocation density on the electroluminescence (EL) intensity of InGaN multiple quantum wells (MQWs) are investigated. It is found that the EL intensity increases with the number of satellite peaks in the x-ray diffraction experiments of InGaN MQW samples. It is indicated that the rough interface will lead the reduction of EL intensity of InGaN MQW samples. It is also found that the EL intensity increases with the decrease of dislocation density which is characterized by the x-ray diffraction measurements. It is suggested that the EL intensity of InGaN MQWs can be improved by decreasing the interface roughness and dislocation density.     

Estimation of InN phase inclusion in InGaN films grown by MOVPE

The amount of InN included in InGaN films grown by MOCVD (metalorganic chemical vapor deposition) was estimated by X-ray diffraction measurement technology. The In compositions in our InGaN films are measured as 0.1–0.34 by X-ray 2θ scan using Vegard’s law. The inclusion of InN in InGaN layers was obtained as 0.0684–2.6396% by measuring the ratio of the integrated intensity of the InN (0002) peak to that of the InGaN (0002) peak in X-ray rocking curves. The theoretical diffraction intensities from InN and InGaN have been calculated according to the X-ray-diffraction theory. The values of the InN inclusion for all our samples were less than 3%, which indicated that the degree of phase separation of the samples was low. It was also found that the flow rate of N₂ carrier gas and the operation pressure strongly affected the InN inclusion in InGaN. Received: 20 November 2000 / Accepted: 16 May 2001 / Published online: 27 June 2001     

Strong violet luminescence from ZnO nanocrystals grown by the low-temperature chemical solution deposition

The luminescence properties of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanocrystals grown from solution are reported. The ZnO nanocrystals were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, cathodo- and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The ZnO nanocrystals have the same regular cone form with the average sizes of 100-500 nm. Apart from the near-band-edge emission around 381 nm and a weak yellow-orange band around 560-580 nm at 300 K, the PL spectra of the as-prepared ZnO nanocrystals under high-power laser excitation also showed a strong defect-induced violet emission peak in the range of 400 nm. The violet band intensity exhibits superlinear excitation power dependence while the UV emission intensity is saturated at high excitation laser power. With temperature raising the violet peak redshifts and its intensity increases displaying unconventional negative thermal quenching behavior, whereas intensity of the UV and yellow-orange bands decreases. The origin of the observed emission bands is discussed.