Density of impurity states of shallow donors in a quantum well under intense laser field

The density of donor impurity states in a square GaAs–AlGaAs quantum well under an intense laser field is calculated taking into account the laser dressing effects on both the Coulomb potential and the confining potential. Using the effective-mass approximation within a variational scheme, the donor binding energy is obtained as a function of the laser dressing parameter, and the impurity position. Our results point out that a proper consideration of the density of impurity states may be of relevance in the interpretation of the optical phenomena related to shallow impurities in quantum wells, where the effects of an intense laser field compete with the quantum confinement.     

Donor impurity states in zinc-blende GaN/AlGaN quantum well: Quantum confinement and laser-dressed effects

Within the framework of effective-mass approximation, the effects of a laser field on the ground-state donor binding energy in zinc-blende (ZB) GaN/AlGaN quantum well (QW) have been investigated variationally. Numerical results show that the donor binding energy is highly dependent on QW structure parameters and Al composition in ZB GaN/AlGaN QW. The laser field effects are more noticeable on the donor binding energy of an impurity localized inside the QW with small well width and low Al composition. However, for the impurity located in the vicinity of the well edge of the QW, the donor binding energy is insensible to the variation of Al composition, well width and laser field intensity in ZB GaN/AlGaN QW. In particular, the competition effects between laser field and quantum confinement on impurity states have also been investigated in this paper.     

Hydrostatic pressure effects on impurity states in GaAs/AlAs quantum wells

Within the framework of effective-mass approximation, we have studied the effects of hydrostatic pressure on the binding energy of a shallow donor impurity in an infinite quantum well by means of a variational method. It is found that the first derivative of the binding energy and energy shift is reliable parameter for describing the structure.     

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.     

Photoluminescence studies of confined states in AlGaAs/GaAs asymmetric quantum well

In the recombination spectra of AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructures, a peculiar and asymmetric photoluminescence (PL) band F has previously been reported [Aloulou et al., Mater. Sci. Eng. B 96 (2002) 14] to be due to recombinations of confined electrons from the two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at AlGaAs/GaAs interface in asymmetric quantum well (AQW). Detailed experiments are reported here on GaAs/Al_0.31Ga_0.69As/GaAs:δSi/Al_0.31Ga_0.69As/GaAs samples with different spacer layer thicknesses. We show that the band F is the superposition of two PL bands F′ and F″ associated, respectively, to AQW and a symmetric quantum well (SQW). In the low excitation regime, the F′ band present a blue shift (4.4 meV) followed by important red shift (16.5 meV) when increasing optical excitation intensity. The blue shift in energy is interpreted in terms of optical control of the 2DEG density in the AQW while the red shift is due to the narrowing of the band gaps caused by the local heating of the sample and band bending modification for relatively high-optical excitation intensity. Calculation performed using self-consistent resolution of the coupled Schrödinger–Poisson equations are included to support the interpretation of the experimental data.     

Donor impurity states in direct-gap SiGe quantum well: Applied electric field and quantum size effects

Within the framework of the effective-mass approximation and variational procedure, competition effects between applied electric field and quantum size on donor impurity states in the direct-gap Ge/SiGe quantum well (QW) have been investigated theoretically. Numerical results show that the applied electric field (quantum size) dominates electron and impurity states in direct-gap Ge/SiGe QW with large (small) well width. Moreover, the competition effects also induce that the donor binding energies show obviously different behaviors with respect to electric field in the QW with different well widths. In particular, when the impurity is located at left boundary of the QW, the donor binding energy is insensitive to the variation of well width when well width is large for any electric field case.     

External electric field and hydrostatic pressure effects on the binding energy and self-polarization of an off-center hydrogenic impurity confined in a GaAs/AlGaAs square quantum well wire

Based on the effective-mass approximation within a variational scheme, binding energy and self-polarization of hydrogenic impurity confined in a finite confining potential square quantum well wire, under the action of external electric field and hydrostatic pressure, are investigated. The binding energy and self-polarization are computed as functions of the well width, impurity position, electric field, and hydrostatic pressure. Our results show that the external electric field and hydrostatic pressure as well as the well width and impurity position have a great influence on the binding energy and self-polarization.     

Optically induced level anticrossing in undoped GaAs/AlGaAs coupled double quantum wells

We report a photoluminescence detected anticrossing of the energy levels in an undoped asymmetric coupled-double-quantum-well buried in a p-i-n structure. Due to the built-in electric field, the quantum wells are tilted in such a way that the symmetric energy level is higher than that of the antisymmetric one in the conduction band. Keeping the laser excitation energy below the barrier, with increasing laser power, the level anticrossing and the quantum confined Stark effect were observed due to decreasing built-in electric field by the photogenerated electron and hole pairs.     

Hydrostatic pressure effect on the donor impurity states in asymmetric multiple quantum wells

Based on the effective-mass approximation, hydrostatic pressure effect on the donor binding energy in zinc blende (ZB) InGaN/GaN asymmetric multiple quantum wells (AMQWs) is investigated variationally. Numerical results show that the hydrostatic pressure increases the donor binding energy for any impurity position. Moreover, the hydrostatic pressure effect is more noticeable if the impurity is localized inside the wide well of the AMQWs. For any hydrostatic pressure, the donor binding energy is distributed asymmetrically with respect to the center of the AMQWs. In particular, the donor binding energy of impurity located at the center of the wide well of the AMQWs is insensitive to the increment of the inter-well barrier width if the inter-well barrier width is large.     

Hydrogenic impurity states in wurtzite GaN/AlGaN coupled quantum dots

The ground-state binding energy of a hydrogenic donor impurity in wurtzite (WZ) GaN/AlGaN coupled quantum dots (QDs) is calculated by means of a variational method, considering the strong built-in electric fields caused by the piezoelectricity and spontaneous polarizations. The strong built-in electric fields induce an asymmetrical distribution of the ground-state binding energy with respect to the center of the coupled QDs. If the impurity is located at the low dot, the ground-state binding energy is insensitive to the interdot barrier width of WZ GaN/AlGaN coupled QDs.     

Study on irradiation-induced defects in GaAs/AlGaAs core–shell nanowires via photoluminescence technique

To gain a physical insight into the radiation effect on nanowires(NWs), the time resolved photoluminescence(TRPL)technique is used to investigate the carrier dynamic behaviors in GaAs/AlGaAs core–shell NWs before and after 1-MeV proton irradiation with fluences ranging from 1.0 × 10~(12) cm~(-2) to 3.0 × 10~(13) cm~(-2). It is found that the degradations of spectral peak intensity and minority carrier lifetime show similar trends against irradiation fluence, which is closely related to the displacement defects induced by irradiation. We also find that the proton irradiation-induced defects behave as Shockley–Read–Hall(SRH) recombination center trapping free carriers. Finally, the defect concentration could be estimated through measuring the minority carrier lifetime.     

Density of states in randomly shaped graphene quantum dots

By numerical diagonalization of honeycomb-lattice tight-binding Hamiltonian we calculate the density of state (DOS) of irregularly shaped graphene quantum dots fabricated in the form of graphene nano-flakes. The finite-size electron confinement and the edge states result in the central peak of DOS that is located at the zero-energy Dirac point. The amplitude and width of the peak are provided by the form of the graphene cluster, but no regular correlation with its shape was found.     

Hydrogenic impurity states in zinc-blende InxGa1−xN/GaN in cylindrical quantum well wires

Within the framework of effective-mass approximation, the binding energy of a hydrogenic donor impurity in zinc-blende (ZB) In_xGa_1−x  N/GaN cylindrical quantum well wires (CQWWs) is investigated using variational procedures. Numerical results show that the ground-state donor binding energy _Eb$E_b$ is highly dependent on the impurity position and the CQWWs structure parameters. The donor binding energy for a shallow donor impurity located at the center of the CQWWs is the largest. As the impurity position changes from the center of the wire to its edge, the donor binding energy gets smaller. Also, we have found that In concentration is a very important value to tailor the system, since the binding energies close to binding energy maxima are strongly dependent on In content.     

Effects of laser field and electric field on impurity states in zinc-blende GaN/AlGaN quantum well

Based on the effective-mass approximation, the competition effects between the laser field and applied electric field on impurity states have been investigated variationally in the ZB GaN/AlGaN quantum well (QW). Numerical results show that for any laser field, the electric field makes the donor binding energy present asymmetric distribution with respect to the center of the QW. Moreover, when the laser field is weak, the electric field effects are obvious on the donor binding energy; however, the electric field effects are insensitive to the variation of donor binding energy in the ZB GaN/AlGaN QW with strong laser field.     

Electron states in the quantum wire with periodic serial structure

A model infinite quantum wire embedded in a matrix permeable to electron waves is investigated in terms of electronic states. The wire is assumed to have a 1D crystal structure. Through electron waves propagating in its surroundings, lateral modes are coupled with Bloch waves propagating along the wire axis, which results in modes splitting into multiplets. The results presented in this study have been obtained by direct solution of the Schrödinger equation in the effective mass approximation.     

A study of the ultrafast optical response of magnetized GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire structures

We have studied analytically the ultrafast optical response of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire subjected to a moderately strong transverse magnetic field. The energy dispersion relations have been numerically calculated and show a significant deviation from parabolic behaviour as the magnetic field is increased. The effective semiconductor Bloch equation technique is used to calculate the induced polarization and differential transmission spectra in the quantum wire. The calculated induced polarization is used to study the optical coherent transient phenomenon of optical nutation. The analysis demonstrates that the magnetic field effectively alters the optical response of the semiconductor quantum wire nanostructures. It is observed that the nutating signal frequency enhances with an increasing magnetic field. The results are useful to explain magnetic field effects on the transient optical properties of semiconductor nanostructures.