Accurate wavefunctions for hydrogenic donors in GaAs(Ga,Al)As quantum dots

A simple variational wavefunction is proposed for calculating the energy of nodeless quantum states of a hydrogenic donor located at the centre of a spherical GaAs(Ga,Al)As quantum dot. Energies are calculated for the 1s, 2p and 3d states for a range of values of the radius of the quantum dot. The results are compared to the “exact” energies and for the ground state with the results obtained by using the wavefunction proposed by Porras-Montenegro and Perez-Merchancano [Phys. Rev. B 46 (1992) 9780]. For the range of quantum dot radii of practical interest, it is shown that the proposed wavefunction gives results of good accuracy. For the ground state, the results from the proposed wavefunction for R ≤ 4 are considerably better than those obtained from the wavefunction used by Porras-Montenegro and Perez-Merchancano.     

Photoluminescence of Al x Ga1−x As/GaAs quantum well heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Nominally undoped Al_xGa_1–xAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy from As₄ species at elevated substrate temperatures of 670°C exhibits well-resolved excitonic fine structure in the low-temperature photoluminescence spectra, if the effective As-to-(Al+Ga) flux ratio on the growth surface is kept within a rather narrow range of clearly As-stabilized conditions. In contrast to previous results on Al_xGa_1–xAs of composition 0.15not to shift in energy by changing the excitation intensity. This implies a simple freeelectron carbon-acceptor recombination mechanism for the line without any participation of a donor. In Al_xGa_1–xAs of composition close to the direct-to-indirect cross-over point, two distinct LO-phonons separated by 34 and 48 meV from the (D ⁰,C ⁰) peak position at x=0.43 were observed which were before only detectable by Raman scattering experiments. The intensity of the carbon-impurity related luminescence lines in bulk-type Al_xGa_1–xAs and GaAs layers was found to be strongly reduced, as compared to the excitonic recombination lines, if the respective active layer was covered by a very thin confinement layer of either GaAs on top of Al_xGa_1–xAs or vice versa grown in the same growth cycle.     

Electron–hole superlattices in GaAs/Al x Ga1− x As multiple quantum wells

A GaAs/Al _x Ga_{1? x} As semiconductor structure is proposed, which is predicted to superconduct at T _c?≈?2?K. Formation of an alternating sequence of electron- and hole-populated quantum wells (an electron–hole superlattice) in a modulation-doped GaAs/Al _x Ga_{1? x} As superlattice is considered. This superlattice may be analogous to the layered electronic structure of high-T _c superconductors. In the structures of interest, the mean spacing between nearest electron (or hole) wells is the same as the mean distance between the electrons (or holes) in any given well. This geometrical relationship mimics a prominent property of optimally doped high-T _c superconductors. Band bending by built-in electric fields from ionized donors and acceptors induces electron and heavy-hole bound states in alternate GaAs quantum wells. A proposed superlattice structure meeting this criterion for superconductivity is studied by self-consistent numerical simulation.     

Photoconductivity of GaAsAlAs multiple quantum wells: Temperature dependent optical transitions

Employing temperature dependent photoconductivity, photoluminescence and photoreflectivity measurements, we have analyzed a GaAsAlAs multiple quantum well. The above optical techniques clearly resolve the fundamental inter-subband transitions, including heavy hole-light hole splittings. At T < 60K an anomalously high photoconductivity was discovered below the direct inter-subband transitions and is attributed to the presence of interface states. For T ≥ 100K the fundamental indirect Λ - J transition was discovered and associated with L0 (L) - phonon absorption. The energetic positions of the direct and the indirect gaps are in agreement with previous band structure calculations for GaAs/AlAs superlattices.     

Determination of exciton transition energies and oscillator strengths in AlGaAsGaAs multiple quantum well structures in an electric field using photocurrent spectroscopy

Photocurrent spectroscopy of Al_xGa_1−xAsGaAs multiple quantum well structures in an electric field perpendicular to the heterointerface was used to characterize exciton transition energies and oscillator strengths as a function of applied field. Excitons, some of which grow with increasing electric field, were identified for electric fields in the range of 0–4×10⁴V/cm. The electric field dependence of exciton oscillator strengths and transition energies is attributed to a complicated interplay between local variation of zone center electron and hole wave function overlap and strong valence-band mixing. Excellent agreement between experiment and theory, which incorporates valence subband mixing effects, is found.     

Strained In x Ga1−x As/GaAs multiple quantum wells grown by MOVPE

Luminescence properties of strained In _x Ga_1−x As/GaAs multiple quantum wells of different thickness and In content, prepared by metal organic vapour phase epitaxy were studied. The influence of the quantum well material composition on the shape of luminescence spectra was investigated. The experimental results were fitted by the Model Solid Theory. This fit was improved by the use of adjustedQ parameter. Presented at the 1st Czech-Chinese Workshop “Advanced Materials for Optoelectronics”, Prague, Czech Republic, June 13–17, 1998. This work was supported by Grant Agency of Czech Republic under grants numbers 202/98/0074, 102/99/0414 and Grant Agency of Academy of Sciences No. A 10110807/1998.     

Electron-hole correlation singularity in optical spectra of modulation doped GaAsAlGaAs quantum wells

By studying the temperature dependence of absorption and luminescence in modulation doped GaAsAlGaAs quantum wells, we show experimentally that the lowest energy absorption peak has a behavior strikingly different from the corresponding excitonic peak in undoped quantum wells, which is alos unexpected in the frame of the single particle picture. We find good qualitative agreement with the many-body model that attributes this “correlation singularity” to the interaction between the photoexcited hole and the sea of electrons.     

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.     

Nonlinear properties in InxGa1 − xAs/GaAs multiple quantum well laser structures

In this paper we investigated nonlinear properties and lasing in In_xGa_1 − xAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition. A systematic study, performed by high excitation photoluminescence measurements as a function of excitation intensity, allowed us to identify the minimum well width for observing stimulated emission from well states. We also determined the threshold for stimulated emission for well and barrier lasing. Radiative recombination energies are identified by using theoretical data obtained in the effective mass approximation, including boundary conditions and strain.     

Electro-optic low-voltage InGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum well modulator with organic–inorganic distributed Bragg reflector

We have realized a reflection-type electro-optic InGaAs/GaAs multiple quantum well (MQW) modulator using an organic–inorganic distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). The MQW active layer is embedded in the intrinsic region of a p-i-n diode. The DBR consists of few pairs of CF_x/TiO_xlayers, fabricated by room-temperature ion beam sputtering on the rear side of the device. The reflectivity of the mirror approaches 98% in the infrared spectral region and is centered at then = 1 exciton resonance of the MQW. ON–OFF driving reverse voltages of 0.5 and 1.8 V are measured at room temperature. In this range the static response of the device is linear so that it can be used for analog electro-optic modulation.     

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.     

Raman scattering study of Al/Ga interdiffusion in ion-implanted and annealed GaAsGa1−xAlxAs superlattices

The Al/Ga interdiffusion after annealing has been characterized by Raman scattering on a GaAsGa_1−xAl_xAs superlattice where different densities of damage had been initially induced by implantation of electrically inactive isoelectronic elements, ³¹P⁺, in order to eliminate the impurity charge associated effects. To probe the mixing beyond the damaged zone of the superlattice, complementary Auger and SIMS experiments have implantation induced defects proceeds from the examination of the whole set of results.     

Magnetic properties of GaAs/δ〈Mn〉/GaAs/In x Ga1 − x As/GaAs quantum wells

The field and temperature dependences of the magnetization of GaAs/δ〈Mn〉/GaAs/In _x Ga_{1 ? x} As/GaAs quantum wells with the δ〈Mn〉 layer separated from the well by a 3-nm GaAs spacer have been studied in the temperature range of 3–300 K in a magnetic field up to 6 T. An external magnetic-field-induced phase transition to a ferromagnetic state with a magnetization hysteresis loop shifted from a zero magnetic field has been found to occur at a temperature below 40 K. A theoretical model is proposed that implies the coexistence of ferromagnetically and antiferromagnetically ordered regions within the GaAs layers.     

Metamorphic growth of 1.55 μm InGaAs/InGaAsP multiple quantum wells laser structures on GaAs substrates

We fabricate a Ga As-based In Ga As/In Ga As P multiple quantum wells(MQWs) laser at 1.55 μm. Using two-step growth method and thermal cyclic annealing, a thin low-temperature In P layer and a thick In P buffer layer are grown on Ga As substrates by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition technology. Then, highquality MQWs laser structures are grown on the In P buffer layer. Under quasi-continuous wave(QCW) condition, a threshold current of 476 m A and slope efficiency of 0.15 m W/m A are achieved for a broad area device with 50 μm wide strip and 500 μm long cavity at room-temperature. The peak wavelength of emission spectrum is1549.5 nm at 700 m A. The device is operating for more than 2000 h at room-temperature and 600 mA.     

Dependence of “Reststrahlen” bands in far-infrared reflectivity on configuration of GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well heterostructures

Far infrared reflectivity measurements are performed on a series of GaAs/AlAs multiple quantum well (MQW) heterostructures with systematically varied thicknesses of the constituent layers. In addition to the artificial anisotropy we observe two distinct bulk-like Reststrahlen regions. The widths of the GaAs-like and the AlAs-like Reststrahlen bands strongly depend on the relative thicknesses of the constituent layers of the MQW heterostructures, in excellent agreement with the predictions of the effective-medium theory.Prof. Aldo Cingolani passed away just before the publication of this article. We would like to dedicate this paper to his memory     

Ferromagnetic transition in GaAs/Mn/GaAs/In x Ga1 − x As/GaAs structures with a two-dimensional hole gas

The transport properties of GaAs/Mn/GaAs/In _x Ga_{1 ? x} As/GaAs structures with a layer that is separated from the quantum well and contains Mn impurities in the concentration range 4–10 at % corresponding to the reentrant metal-insulator transition observed in the bulk GaMnAs material [17] have been investigated. The hole mobility in the objects under investigation is more than two orders of magnitude higher than the known values for the GaMnAs semiconductor and GaMnAs-based magnetic heterostructures. This makes it possible to observe Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations, which confirm a two-dimensional character of the hole energy spectrum. The calculated Curie temperature for heterostructures with indirect exchange interaction through a two-dimensional hole channel is in good agreement with the position of the maximum (at 25–40 K) in the temperature dependences of the electrical resistance of the channel. This suggests that two-dimensional holes play an important role in ferromagnetic ordering of the Mn layer under these conditions. The observations of a negative spin-dependent magnetoresistance and an anomalous Hall effect, whose magnitude correlates well with the results of theoretical calculations for two-dimensional ferromagnetic systems based on III-Mn-V, also indicate a significant role of the two-dimensional channel in ferromagnetic ordering.     

Kinetics of indirect photoluminescence in GaAs/AlxGa1−x As double quantum wells in a random potential with a large amplitude

The kinetics of indirect photoluminescence of GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells, characterized by a random potential with a large amplitude (the linewidth of the indirect photoluminescence is comparable to the binding energy of an indirect exciton) in magnetic fields B≤12 T at low temperatures T≥1.3 K is investigated. It is found that the indirect-recombination time increases with the magnetic field and decreases with increasing temperature. It is shown that the kinetics of indirect photoluminescence corresponds to single-exciton recombination in the presence of a random potential in the plane of the double quantum wells. The variation of the nonradiative recombination time is discussed in terms of the variation of the transport of indirect excitons to nonradiative recombination centers, and the variation of the radiative recombination time is discussed in terms of the variation of the population of optically active excitonic states and the localization radius of indirect excitons. The photoluminescence kinetics of indirect excitons, which is observed in the studied GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells for which the random potential has a large amplitude, is qualitatively different from the photoluminescence kinetics of indirect excitons in AlAs/GaAs wells and GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As double quantum wells with a random potential having a small amplitude. The temporal evolution of the photoluminescence spectra in the direct and indirect regimes is studied. It is shown that the evolution of the photoluminescence spectra corresponds to excitonic recombination in a random potential. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 115, 1890–1905 (May 1999)     

Effect of SiO2–metal–SiO2 plasmonic structures on InGaAs/GaAs quantum well intermixing

Dielectric–metal–dielectric sandwich structures have been fabricated on top of an InGaAs/GaAs single quantum well (QW) structure to enhance atomic interdiffusion across the QW interfaces at elevated temperature during rapid thermal annealing using a halogen lamp as the heating source. The QW intermixing enhancement is realized during rapid thermal annealing. By placing a properly designed SiO₂–Ag–SiO₂ structure on top of the QW sample, a blueshift in photoluminescence emission from 920 to 882 nm was observed, larger than that obtained in a SiO₂-capped QW annealed at the same condition. Finite-difference time-domain simulation and optical reflectance measurements showed that the enhanced QW intermixing is due to the plasmonic resonance-enhanced light absorption and suppressed light reflection from the SiO₂–Ag–SiO₂ structure.