Polarization of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The polarization characteristics of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the formation of an electronic miniband in the superlattice substantially changes the polarization characteristics of the photoluminescence. As a result of the quasi-three-dimensional character of the motion of hot electrons in the superlattice, the polarization depends on the ratio of the electron kinetic energies in the plane of the superlattice and along the axis of the superlattice. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 4, 285–289 (25 February 1996)     

Molecular layering of 2D films and superlattices based on II–VI compounds

The method of molecular layering is used to prepare CdS thin films and CdS/ZnS and CdS/CdSe superlattices. The dependence of the exciton photoluminescence on film thickness is studied, and the role of internal strains is examined. The effect of the excitation intensity on the superlattice photoluminescence spectra is examined, manifested in a shift of the emission maximum toward shorter wavelengths when this intensity is increased. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 820–821 (May 1998)     

Donor-acceptor recombination in type-II GaAs/AlAs superlattices

A study is reported of steady-and nonsteady-state photoluminescence of intentionally undoped and uniformly silicon-doped type-II (GaAs)₇(AlAs)₉ superlattices grown by MBE simultaneously on (311)A-and (100)-oriented GaAs substrates. It has been established that at elevated temperatures (160>T>30 K) the superlattice spectra are dominated by the line due to the donor-acceptor recombination between donors in the AlAs layers and acceptors located in the GaAs layers. The total carrier binding energy to the donor and acceptor in a pair has been determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1734–1739 (September 1998)     

Features of the resonant interaction of moving neutral atoms and clusters with superlattice surface

Features of the interaction of moving neutral atoms, molecules, and clusters with a superlattice field (for example, the system of linear magnetic and electric domains) are considered. It is shown that the character of the particle motion depends on the ratio of the frequency ω₂₁ of the internal electromagnetic resonance to the bounce frequency Ω _s determined by the superlattice period, the velocity of the particle motion, and the possible moments of the particle in the ground d ₁₁ and excited d ₂₂ states. The conditions for regimes of attraction and repulsion of particles by the superlattice are considered. The preconditions for formation of a one-dimensional potential well located far from the superlattice and for stable channeling of neutral and charged particles in this well are also considered. Depending on the ratio of ω₂₁ to Ω _s , particle sorting and beam separation occur during interaction of the multicomponent beam consisting of different particles with the superlattice field.     

Instability of the photoluminescence of porous silicon

Results of studies of the photoluminescence of porous silicon with different prehistories have revealed the mechanism and nature of the instability of the luminescence properties of freshly prepared samples. It was established that the initial quenching and subsequent rise of the photoluminescence is attributable to the intermediate formation of silicon monoxide (photoluminescence degradation) and subsequent additional oxidation to form SiO₂ (photoluminescence rise). Ultraviolet laser irradiation accelerates this process by a factor of 200–250 compared with passive storage of the samples in air. Plasma-chemical treatment in an oxygen environment merely results in a subsequent rise in the photoluminescence as a result of the formation of monoxide on the porous silicon surface. A kinetic model is proposed for this process. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 135–137 (June 1999)     

High resolution x-ray diffractometry of the structural characteristics of a semiconducting (InGa)As/GaAs superlattice

A statistical approach is used to construct a kinematic theory of x-ray diffraction on a semiconducting superlattice with a two layer period. This theory takes two types of structural deformations into account: crystal lattice defects caused by microdefects distributed chaotically over the thickness of the superlattice, and periodicity defects of an additional superlattice potential owing to random deviations in the thicknesses of the layers of its period from specified values. Numerical simulation is used to illustrate the effect of structural defects on the development of the diffraction reflection curve. The theory is used to analyze experimental x-ray diffraction spectra of semiconducting In_xGa_1−x As/GaAs superlattices. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 69, 44–53 (February 1999)     

A review on quantum well structures in photonic devices for enhanced speed and span of the transmission network

Quantum well devices feature heterostructures of very thin epitaxial layers of group III-V and II-VI semiconductor materials. Quantum well devices are integrated monolithically with various optoelectronics devices to provide photonic integrated circuits. The representative structure could be realized with GaAs wells with GaAlAs barriers for wavelengths around 0.9 μm and InGaAsP are used for longer wavelengths. Together with quantum well, superlattice structure is another popular design for InGaAs Avalanche Photo Diode (APD). Quantum well structures find their applications in improved lasers, superlattice for photodiodes, modulators and switches. Consequences of quantum well theory are available today in terms of quantum wires and quantum dots. Upon the application of the normal electric field to quantum well structures, exciton pairs becomes more and more confined and the sharp exciton absorption peaks are observed. The effect is termed as “Quantum Confined Stark Effect”. The electro-absorption effect is approximately 50 times larger in multiple quantum well structures than it is in bulk semiconductors. Another electro-absorption effect known as “Franz Keldysh Effect” has been employed in monolithic waveguide detector. These effects lead to electro-absorption lasers (EAL) as well as electro-absorption laser modulators (EML).     

Effect of electron-phonon interaction on the thermoelectric properties of superlattices

The electron relaxation time on acoustical phonons, the electrical conductivity, and the phonon-drag thermopower of a semiconductor superlattice with quasi-two-dimensional quantum wells are calculated. The inelasticity of the scattering of charge carriers is taken into account. It is shown that the phonon-drag thermopower of a superlattice can be an order of magnitude greater than the corresponding thermopower of a bulk semiconductor. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 69, No. 4, 290–295 (25 February 1999)     

Modification of porous silicon in ultrahigh vacuum and contribution of graphite nanocrystallites to photoluminescence

A replacement of the adsorbate in porous silicon is carried out in ultra-high vacuum. The photoluminescence line is shifted and quenched as the products of anodization of silicon — silicon hydrides and atomic and molecular hydrogen — undergo thermal decomposition and desorption. Adsorption of molecular chlorine restores the 560 nm photoluminescence band, which we identified as radiation from graphite nanoparticles. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 2, 106–111 (25 January 1996)     

Appearance of resonant Γ-X mixing in gradient GaAs/AlAs short-period superlattices

We have experimentally investigated the low-temperature (10 K) luminescence and reflection spectra of a gradient GaAs/AlAs superlattice. We have examined the behavior of phonon satellites in the vicinity of the X-Γ resonance. Smooth passage through the resonance was achieved by scanning an exciting light beam along the surface of a gradient sample. Based on our experimental results, we have determined the functional dependence of the Γ-X mixing potential on the resonance detuning. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 822–823 (May 1998)     

Experimental study of the energy gap in the spin-wave spectrum in Co/Pd multilayer films

The energy gap appearing in the spin-wave spectrum as a result of Bragg scattering by the modulation period q=2π/(d ₁+d ₂) of a one-dimensional superlattice is observed by the method of spin-wave resonance in Co/Pd multilayer films. It is shown that this gap is asymmetric: The “positive” deviation is from two to three times greater than the “negative” deviation. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 12, 938–941 (25 June 1996)     

Possibility of the propagation of an electromagnetic soliton in a two-dimensional superlattice

A two-dimensional electron structure in a system with a periodic potential, i.e., a two-dimensional superlattice, is investigated. An equation is derived describing the propagation of an electromagnetic wave in a two-dimensional superlattice. It is shown that an electromagnetic soliton can propagate in a two-dimensional superlattice, where it is detectable experimentally because it can induce a pulsed entrainment current. The influence of an elliptically polarized (specified) electromagnetic wave on the form of the soliton is also investigated. It is shown that a solitary wave can be amplified under certain conditions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1470–1472 (August 1997)     

Exciton-electron interaction in quantum wells with a two dimensional electron gas of low density

II–VI quantum-well structures containing a 2DEG of low density have been investigated by means of polarized photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation and reflectivity in external magnetic fields up to 20 T. The spin splittings of the exciton X and the negatively charged exciton X ⁻ are measured as a function of the magnetic field strength. The behavior of the magnetic-field-induced polarization degree of the luminescence line related to X ⁻ demonstrates the formation process of negatively charged excitons from excitons and free carriers polarized by the external magnetic field. We have determined the binding energies of the trion formed either with the heavy-hole or the light-hole exciton. The optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) technique was applied for the first time to study the optical transition processes in a nanosecond timescale. The electron ODMR was observed with the detection on either the direct exciton or the negatively charged exciton X. Further evidence for the interaction of excitons with the electrons of the two-dimensional gas are demonstrated by a combined exciton-cyclotron resonance line observed in reflectivity and luminescence excitation, shake-up processes observed in photoluminescence, as well as inelastic and spin-dependent scattering processes. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 831–836 (May 1999) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Differential thermopower of a superlattice in a strong electric field

The effect of an electric field on the differential thermopower α(E) of a one-dimensional superlattice is investigated in the semiclassical approximation. A nonmonotonic temperature dependence of α(0) is established for a degenerate electron gas. It is shown that, in principle, an electric field can be used to control the thermoelectric properties of superlattices. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 1314–1316 (July 1999)     

Spin-wave susceptibility of partially randomized ferromagnetic superlattices

This paper is a theoretical investigation of the effect of inhomogeneities in the period of a ferromagnetic superlattice on the high-frequency superlattice susceptibility. The calculations are done for a model in which the uniaxial magnetic anisotropy is taken as the physical parameter that characterizes both the ideal superlattice and a partially randomized superlattice. It is found that as the inhomogeneities become more intense, the two resonance peaks corresponding to the splitting of the spectrum at the edge of the Brillouin zone of the superlattice broaden, move closer to each other, and finally merge into one. The height of this peak increases and the peak width decreases as the intensity of the inhomogeneities increases further. The effect of inhomogeneities on the susceptibility differs dramatically in the two limits of short-and long-wave inhomogeneities: in the latter case (in contrast to the former) the dependence of the separation of the susceptibility peaks on the intensity and correlation properties of the inhomogeneities is nonmonotonic. The possibility of observing these effects in spin-wave resonance experiments involving multilayer magnetic films is also discussed. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 116, 1335–1345 (October 1999)     

Energy spectrum of a GaAs (δ-Sn) structure on a vicinal face

The potential profile, electron energy levels, and corresponding wave functions are calculated for a gallium-arsenide structure with a δ-doped tin vicinal face GaAs(0.3°, δ-Sn). Calculated values of the electron densities in the subbands agree well with the quantities obtained from an analysis of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations and photoluminescence spectra of the structure. On the basis of the calculated band diagram the lines observed in the photoluminescence spectrum of the GaAs(0.3°, δ-Sn) structure are identified here for the first time as associated with electron transitions on the size-quantization levels in the tin δ-layer. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 39, 1853–1856 (October 1997)     

Structure of the free exciton luminescence band of heteroepitaxial ZnSe/GaAs layers

The exciton reflectance and photoluminescence spectra of epitaxial ZnSe/GaAs layers with a thickness of 2–4 μm are investigated in the temperature range 10–120 K. It is shown that one of the causes of the formation of the doublet structure of the A _n=1 photoluminescence band is interference of the exciton radiation at the boundaries of the near-surface dead layer. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 881–883 (May 1998)     

Magnetic excitons in near-surface quantum wells: Experiment and theory

We have measured the photoluminescence spectra and photoluminescence excitation spectra of magnetic excitons in InGaAs/GaAs near-surface quantum wells in a magnetic field. We have quantitatively investigated the effect of dielectric enhancement of excitons in quantum wells brought about by decreasing the thickness of the barrier layer, both in a magnetic field and without. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 806–808 (May 1998)     

Intervalley electron scattering by phonons in (AlAs)1(GaAs)3(001) superlattices

Intervalley electron scattering by phonons in (AlAs)₁(GaAs)₃(001) superlattices is studied using the pseudopotential method and a phenomenological model of the bonding forces. The deformation potentials between the conduction band extrema of the superlattice involving short-and long-wavelength phonons are calculated. It is shown that the mixing of states from the zinc-blende L valleys plays a greater role in intervalley scattering in a superlattice than the Γ-X mixing. In particular, due to L-L mixing, the Γ-X ₃ transitions, analogous to Γ-L transitions in zinc blende, have higher intensities than the analogues of Γ-X transitions (Γ₁-M ₅ and (Γ₁-Γ₃ transitions). The deformation potentials averaged over the scattering channels in the superlattice agree with the corresponding potentials in a solid solution, but all transitions in the superlattice have higher intensities for the lower states.     

Size control of Si nanocrystals by two-step rapid thermal annealing of sputtered Si-rich oxide/SiO2 superlattice

Controllable size of silicon (Si) nanocrystals can be achieved by a two-step rapid thermal annealing technique consisting of rapid annealing at 1000°C in nitrogen ambient and rapid oxidation at 600–800°C of a radio frequency magnetron co-sputtered Si-rich oxide/SiO₂ superlattice structure. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra related to Si nanocrystals were observed in the visible range (600–900 nm). After rapid oxidation, the size of the nanocrystals was reduced and the quality of the Si nanocrystal/SiO₂ interface was improved, resulting in a blue shift and an increase of the PL peak intensity. Finally, annealing in air increases the PL intensity further.