Binding energy of the exciton-phonon system in GaAs-Ga1−xAlxAs quantum well structures

On the basis of the strong-coupling scheme applied to the exciton-phonon system in GaAs/GaAlAs quantum well structures we calculate the ground state binding energy. It is found that the corrections due to electron (hole)-phonon coupling are rather significant.     

Excited states of the negatively charged exciton X−in wide CdTe/CdZnTe quantum wells

A magneto-optical study of ≈350 Å wide CdTe/CdZnTe quantum wells containing an electron gas is presented. For undoped structures the absorption spectra show lines associated with centre-of-mass quantization of the exciton in the wide CdTe well. Modulation-doped structures show absorption lines corresponding to the creation of the negatively charged exciton X⁻(two electrons, one hole). We observe not just the ground state of X⁻butalsoa series of lines which are attributed to higher states of X⁻where an electron is attached to the centre of mass quantized states of the exciton.     

Avalanche multiplication of charge carriers in isotype GaAs-Ga1−xAlxAs n+-v-n heterojunctions

The current-voltage characteristics of n⁺-v-n structure based on GaAs and Ga_1–xAl_xAs with x=0.2–0.8 were investigated. Voltages of 7–30 V lead to avalanche multiplication of charge carriers in the high-resistance layer. Depending on the C-band discontinuity _o on the n⁺-GaAs--Ga_1–xAl_xAs junction, the prebreakdown current is limited either by the probability of electron tunneling (_o > 0.3 eV) or by space charge in the v layer (_o < 0.2 eV). An expression for the multiplication coefficient in the case of space-charge limitation of the prebreakdown current is obtained. It is shown that in the structures in question the effect of external factors on the multiplication of electrons and holes can be investigated separately.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 6, pp. 80–84, June, 1978.     

Well-width dependence of interface roughness scattering in GaAs/Ga1 − xAlxAs quantum wells

Well-width dependence of quantum and transport mobilities of electrons in GaAs/GaAlAs multiple quantum wells is studied for wells with widths ranging between 50 Å and 145 Å Experimental results are obtained from the amplitude analysis of the Shubnikov–de Haas (SdH) oscillations and from conventional Hall measurements at temperatures betweenT = 15 K and 4.2 K. A novel technique is employed to estimate, theoretically, the interface roughness parameters from electron quantum and transport lifetimes. The modelling is carried out for a range of layer fluctuations, width (Δ) and lateral size (Λ), as to obtain the best fit to the experimental results for individual samples. Our results indicate that the interface roughness scattering limits equal both quantum and transport mobilities at low temperatures, and that the nature of scattering by interface roughness (small or large angle) depends not only on the size and the width of the fluctuations but also on the distribution of these fluctuations within the samples. Therefore, unlike the predictions of the existing theoretical models, which assume constant values of Δ and Λ for all well widths, the well-width dependence of interface roughness scattering cannot be verified experimentally.     

Orthorhombic symmetry of valence-band states in CdTe/Cd1−x MnxTe quantum wells

A study is reported of the anisotropy in magnetic-field-induced linear polarization in (001) CdTe/Cd_1−x Mn_xTe quantum wells. The observed limiting anisotropy is shown to be due to the low C _2v symmetry of the quantum well. The relations obtained for the C _2v point group are in a good agreement with experiment. Considered on the microscopic scale, the effect is associated with the heavy-hole g-factor anisotropy in the well plane. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 41, 903–906 (May 1999)     

Combined exciton–electron excitation in quantum wells with a two-dimensional electron gas of low density

A combined exciton–cyclotron resonance is found in the photoluminescence excitation and reflectivity spectra of semiconductor quantum wells with an electron gas of low density. In external magnetic fields an incident photon creates an exciton in the ground state and simultaneously excites an electron between Landau levels. A theoretical model is developed and suggests the dominating contribution of the exchange exciton–electron interaction.     

Fractional-dimensional approach for biexcitons in GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs quantum wells

The energy of a biexciton in a GaAs/Al_xGa_1?xAs quantum well structure with finite barriers is investigated by using the geometrical model of two-dimensional biexcitons proposed by Singh et al. [J. Singh, D. Birkedal, V.G. Layssenko, J.M. Hvam, Phys. Rev. B 53 (1996) 15909; I.-K. Oh, J. Singh, Phys. Rev. B 60 (1999) 2528]. A fractional-dimensional approach is used to obtain the binding energy of the biexciton in both square quantum wells and parabolic quantum wells. Theoretical results show that the binding energy of a biexciton in a finite quantum well exhibits a maximum with increasing well width. The ratio of the binding energy of a biexciton to that of an exciton in a quantum well structure is found to be sensitive to the electron-to-hole mass ratio and larger than that in the three-dimensional system. The results agree fairly well with previous experimental results. The results of our approach are also compared with those of earlier theories.     

Index of refraction of GaAsAlxGa1−xAs superlattices and multiple quantum wells

Recent research of superlattices and multiple quantum wells has generated considerable interest in the optical waveguiding properties of these structures for optoelectronic applications. As a result we present a theoretical study of the index of refraction of superlattices and determine its variation as a function of frequency and the superlattice parameters, i.e., layer width and AlAs composition. Γ-region exciton and valence-band mixing effects are included in the model. It is found that these two effects have an important influence on the value of the index of refraction and that superstructure effects rapidly decrease for energies greater than the superlattice potential barriers. Because of the quasi-two-dimensional character of the Γ-region excitons, our results indicate that the superlattice index of refraction can vary by ∼ 2% at the quantized, bound-exciton, transition energies. Overall, the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Subband and excitonic binding of graded GaAs/Ga1–xAlxAs quantum wells under an electric field

The effects of an applied electric field on subband energies and excitonic binding for a graded GaAlAs quantum well are calculated variationally within the effective mass approximation. The ver sensitive dependence of subband energies on the applied field is calculated using a model potential profile and exact electron and hole wavefunctions. Our calculations have revealed the dependence of the energy shifts of subbands, and excitonic binding on the field direction in the graded quantum well. This pemits control over tunnelling which could be desirable for some applications.     

Electric field induced exciton binding energy and its non-linear optical properties in a narrow InSb/InGaxSb1−x quantum dot

The effect of electric field on the binding energy, interband emission energy and the non-linear optical properties of exciton as a function of dot radius in an InSb/InGa_xSb_1?x quantum dot are investigated. Numerical calculations are carried out using single band effective mass approximation variationally to compute the exciton binding energy and optical properties are obtained using the compact density matrix approach. The dependence of the nonlinear optical processes on the dot sizes is investigated for various electric field strength. The linear, third order non-linear optical absorption coefficients, susceptibility values and the refractive index changes of electric field induced exciton as a function of photon energy are obtained. It is found that electric field and the geometrical confinement have great influence on the optical properties of dots.     

Impurity magneto-optical absorption with the participation of resonance states of D 2 − centers in quantum wells

The dependence of the average binding energy of the resonance g-state of a D ₂ ^? center on the induction of an external magnetic field in a quantum well with a parabolic confining potential is studied using the zero-range potential method. It has been shown that with an increasing exchange interaction, the character of the dependence of the average binding energy of the resonance g-state of the D ₂ ^? center on the induction of the external magnetic field changes. It has been assumed that in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells alloyed with small Si donors, resonance D ₂ ^? states can exist under conditions of exchange interaction. It has been found that in spectra of impurity magneto-optical absorption in multiwall quantum structures, exchange interaction manifests itself as oscillations of interference origin.     

Tunneling-induced π-phase shift with a single-photon signal field in asymmetric double quantum wells

A theoretical investigation is carried out into the cross phase modulation （XPM） in an asymmetric double A1GaAs/GaAs quantum wells structure with a common continuum. It is found that, combining resonant tunneling-induced transparency and constructive interference in the third-order Kerr effect, a giant XPM can be achieved with vanishing linear and nonlinear absorptions, accompanied by the velocities of the probe and signal fields being matched. Furthermore, this giant XPM could induce a π-phase shift at a single-photon level which is favorable for the applications in two-qubit quantum logic gates.     

Alloy-disorder scattering of the interacting electron gas in quantum wells and heterostructures of Al x Ga1 − x As

The question whether alloy disorder is screened or unscreened is of fundamental importance. Therefore, we calculate the mobility of the interacting two-dimensional electron gas as realized in Al _x Ga_{1 ? x} As quantum wells and heterostructures in the presence of alloy-disorder scattering. For the screening we use the randomphase approximation and we include many-body effects due to exchange and correlation. We propose to determine the alloy disorder potential V _AD from mobility measurements. If we use V _AD = 1.04 eV we can explain recent experimental results obtained for quantum wells and heterostructures with ultrahigh mobility. From the anomalous linear temperature dependence of the mobility measured in heterostructures, we conclude that the alloy disorder is screened. More experiments are needed to confirm the screening of the alloy disorder and we propose some measurements.     

Bistability of quantum magnetotransport in a multilayer Ge/p-Ge1−x Six heterostructure with wide potential wells

Two metastable states of a multilayer Ge/p-Ge_1−x Si_x heterosystem with wide (∼ 35 nm) potential wells (Ge) are observed in strong magnetic fields B at low temperatures. In the first state, the Hall resistivity exhibits an inflection near the value ρ_xy=h/e ² scaled to one Ge layer. The longitudinal magnetoresistivity ρ_xx(B) possesses a minimum in the range of fields where this inflection occurs. The temperature evolution of the inflection in ρ_xy(B), the minimum of ρ _xx(B), and the value of ρ_xy at the inflection indicates a weakly expressed state of the quantum Hall effect with a uniform current distribution over the layers. In the second metastable state, an unusually wide plateau near h/2e ² with a very weak field dependence is observed in ρ_xy(B). Estimates show that in these samples the Fermi level lies below but close to the top of the inflection in the bottom of the well. For this reason, the second state can be explained by separation of a hole gas in the Ge layers into two sublayers, and the saturation of ρ_xy(B) near h/2e ² can be explained by the formation of a quantum Hall insulator state. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 4, 290–297 (25 August 1999)     

Photoluminescence properties of exciton–exciton scattering in a GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well

We report on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of a GaAs (20 nm)/AlAs (20 nm) multiple quantum well under high-density-excitation conditions at excitation energies near the fundamental exciton energies. The biexciton-PL band is dominant in a relatively low-excitation-power region. The PL originating from exciton–exciton scattering, the so-called P emission, suddenly appears with an increase in excitation power. The excitation-energy dependence of the intensity of the P-PL band indicates that the excitation energy higher than the fundamental heavy-hole exciton by the energy of the longitudinal optical (LO) phonon is the most efficient for the P PL. This suggests that the LO-phonon scattering plays an important role in the relaxation process of excitons leading to the P PL. The appearance of the P-PL band remarkably suppresses the intensity of the biexciton-PL band; namely, the exciton–exciton scattering process prevents the formation of biexcitons. Furthermore, we have confirmed the existence of optical gain due to the exciton–exciton scattering process with use of a variable-stripe-length method.     

Magnetoreflectance and luminescense study of beryllium acceptors in selectively doped GaAs/AlxGa1−xAs multiple quantum wells

We present a magneto-optical study of p-type GaAs/Al_xGa_1−xAs quantum wells doped with Be acceptors over the central one-third of the GaAs layers. Using magneto-reflectance and magneto-luminescence spectroscopies, we have investigated (a) interband Landau transitions and (b) transitions from the conduction band Landau levels to the Be acceptors. Binding energies of the acceptors were determined and the dependence of the impurity ground state energy on magnetic field has been studied.