Analysis of quantum well size alteration effects on slow light device based on excitonic population oscillation

In this paper we investigate the effects of quantum well size changes on slow light device properties. The principle properties such as center frequency and slow down factor of a slow light device are affected by changing the size of quantum well. In this way, the effects of quantum well size on Oscillator Strength and binding energy of exciton are considered separately. First, we investigate the variations in oscillator strength of exciton due to different quantum well size. Second, exciton binding energy level shift due to size of quantum well is investigated. According to this analysis, we have developed a new method for tuning slow light device bandwidth center frequency and slow down factor. Analysis and simulation of a basic GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells optical slow light device based on excitonic population oscillation shows that size of quantum wells could tune both of the frequency properties and slow down factor of an optical slow light device. Simulation results show that slow down factor and oscillation strength of exciton are proportional to each other in direct manner. Moreover, decreasing the quantum well width, causes enhancement in binding energy of excitons. These achievements are useful in optical nonlinearity enhancements, all-optical signal processing applications and optical communications.     

Polaron effects on excitons in parabolic quantum wells: fractional-dimension variational approach

Polaron effects on excitons in parabolic quantum wells are studied theoretically by using a variational approach with the so-called fractional dimension model. The numerical results for the exciton binding energies and longitudinal-optical phonon contributions in GaAs/Al_0.3Ga_0.7As parabolic quantum well structures are obtained as functions of the well width. It is shown that the exciton binding energies are obviously reduced by the electron (hole)-phonon interaction and the polaron effects are un-negligible. The results demonstrate that the fractional-dimension variational theory is effectual in the investigations of excitonic polaron problems in parabolic quantum wells.     

Polaronic exciton in quantum wells wires and nanotubes

We investigate the effect of the longitudinal-optical phonon field on the binding energies of excitons in quantum wells, well-wires and nanotubes based on ionic semiconductors. We take into account the exciton-phonon interaction by using the Aldrich-Bajaj effective potential for Wannier excitons in a polarizable medium. We extend the fractional-dimensional method developed previously for neutral and negatively charged donors to calculate the exciton binding energies in these heterostructures. In this method, the exciton wave function is taken as a product of the ground state functions of the electron polaron and hole polaron with a correlation function that depends only on the electron-hole separation. Starting from the variational principle we derive a one-dimensional differential equation, which is solved numerically by using the trigonometric sweep method. We find that the potential that takes into account polaronic effects always give rise to larger exciton binding energies than those obtained using a Coulomb potential screened by a static dielectric constant. This enhancement of the binding energy is more considerable in quantum wires and nanotubes than in quantum wells. Our results for quantum wells are in a good agreement with previous variational calculations. Also, we present novel curves of the exciton binding energies as a function of the wire and nanotubes radii for different models of the confinement potential.     

The symmetry of the relative motion of excitons in semiconductor heterostructures

A theoretical model of excitonic states in semiconductor heterostructures is presented. The approach employs the envelope function approximation, and involves a two parameter variational calculation in which the symmetry of the component of the wave function representing the relative motion is allowed to vary between the two- and three-dimensional limits. Detailed calculations are described for a variety of single quantum wells and superlattices. The results show that the excitons are neither 2D nor 3D like, but are intermediate in character. Furthermore, in the main, they assume the symmetry of a prolate spheroid. An exception to this occurs in the special case of an asymmetric double quantum well close to resonance, where two stable exciton states are found for the same one-particle states. One of these ‘twin’ exciton states is an oblate spheroid. The results illustrate the need for accurate determination of excitonic properties if the dynamical evaluation of exciton states, in for example, quantum well lasers, is to be readily determined.     

纤锌矿InGaN staggered量子阱中的激子态和光学性质

本文将基于有效质量近似下的变分法,理论研究了纤锌矿InGaN/GaN staggered量子阱中的激子态和光学性质.数值结果显示了InGaN量子阱中的量子尺寸和staggered受限垒对束缚于量子阱中的激子态和光学性质有着明显的影响.当阱宽增加时,量子受限效应减弱,激子结合能降低,带间发光波长增加.另一方面,当量子阱中staggered受限势增加时,量子受限效应增强,激子结合能升高,带间发光波长降低.本文的理论结果证明了可以通过调节staggered垒高和量子尺寸来调控纤锌矿InGaN staggered量子阱中的激子态和光学性质.     

纤锌矿InGaN staggered量子阱中的激子态和光学性质

本文将基于有效质量近似下的变分法,理论研究了纤锌矿InGaN/GaN staggered 量子阱中的激子态和光学性质。数值结果显示了InGaN量子阱中的量子尺寸和staggered受限垒对束缚于量子阱中的激子态和光学性质有着明显地影响。当阱宽增加时,量子受限效应减弱,激子结合能降低, 带间发光波长增加。另一方面,当量子阱中staggered受限势增加时,量子受限效应增强,激子结合能升高,带间发光波长降低。本文的理论结果证明了可以通过调节staggered垒高和量子尺寸来调控纤锌矿InGaN staggered 量子阱中的激子态和光学性质。     

Coulombic bound states in semiconductor quantum wells

Recent theoretical works on Coulombic bound states in semiconductor quantum wells (Q.W.) are reviewed. Due to carrier confinement along the growth axis the bound impurity or exciton states display enhanced binding energies over the bulk values. The presence of free carriers in modulation-doped quantum wells decreases the impurity binding energies. However the quasi-bidimensionality of the carrier motion prevents a complete vanishing of impurity bound states. The photoluminescence line of high-quality quantum well is often Stokes-shifted with respect to the absorption or excitation spectra. This Stokes shift can be correlated with interface defects in a qualitative fashion.     

Long-distance diffusion of excitons in double quantum well structures

In this Letter we report on lateral diffusion measurements of excitons at low temperature in double quantum wells of various widths. The structure is designed so that excitons live up to 30 micros and diffuse up to 500 microm. Particular attention is given to establishing that the transport occurs by exciton motion. The deduced exciton diffusion coefficients have a very strong well width dependence, and obey the same power law as the diffusion coefficient for electrons.     

Binding energies of wannier excitons in GaAs-Ga1−xAlxAs quantum well structures

Binding energies of Wannier excitons in a quantum well structure consisting of a single slab of GaAs sandwiched between two semi-infinite slabs of Ga_1?xAl_xAs are calculated using a variational approach. Due to reduction in symmetry along the axis of growth of these quantum well structures and the presence of band discontinuities at the interfaces, the degeneracy of the valence band of GaAs is removed leading to two exciton systems, namely, the heavy hole exciton and the light hole exciton. The variations of the binding energies of these two excitons as a function of the size of the GaAs quantum wells for various values of the heights of the potential barrier are calculated and their behavior is discussed.     

Exciton quantization in parabolic quantum wells

The exciton wavefunction in parabolic quantum wells is calculated using variational techniques and effective mass theory. The influences of the potential shape and of confinement on the exciton binding energies are studied. The results are in good agreement with previous calculations. The oscillator-strength of excitons in GaAs/Ga_1-xAl_xAS quantum wells has a maximum value very close to the cross-over from three to two dimensions.     

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.     

On the validity of Haynes rule for the binding of excitonic complexes in low dimensions

Using a two-dimensional geometrical model and fractional dimension approach, it is found analytically that the ratio of the binding energy of a biexciton to that of an exciton is 0.228 in quantum wells and it is independent of the quantum-well width. This agrees very well with the results in GaAs and ZnSe quantum wells, and CuCl crystals and large quantum dots. It is suggested that, while Haynes rule may be valid for bulk, much higher ratios may be expected in lower dimensions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 794–796 (May 1998) Published in English in the original Russian journal. Reproduced here with stylistic changes by the Translation Editor.     

Direct and spatially indirect excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices in strong magnetic fields

Luminescence and luminescence excitation spectra are used to study the energy spectrum and binding energies of direct and spatially indirect excitons in GaAs/AlaAs superlattices, with different widths of the electron and hole minibands, located in a high magnetic field perpendicular to the heterolayers. It is found that the ground state of the indirect excitons formed by electrons and holes and spatially separated between neighboring quantum wells lies between the ls ground state of the direct excitons and the continuum threshold for dissociated exciton states in the minibands. Indirect excitons in superlattices have a significant oscillator strength when the binding energy of the exciton exceeds the order of the width of the resulting miniband. The behavior of the binding energy of direct and indirect heavy hole excitons during changes in the tunneling coupling between the quantum wells is established. It is shown that a strong magnetic field, which intensifies the Coulomb interaction between the electron and hole in an exciton, weakens the bond in a system of symmetrically bound quantum wells. The spatially indirect excitons studied here are analogous to first order Wannier-Stark localized excitons in superlattices with inclined bands (when an electrical bias is applied), but in the present case the localization is of purely Coulomb origin. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 112, 1106–1118 (September 1997)     

On the binding energies of excitons in polar quantum well structures in a weak electric field

The binding energies of excitons in quantum well structures subjected to an applied uniform electric field by taking into account the exciton longitudinal optical phonon interaction is calculated. The binding energies and corresponding Stark shifts for Ⅲ-Ⅴ and Ⅱ-Ⅵ compound semiconductor quantum well structures have been numerically computed. The results for GaAs/A1GaAs and ZnCdSe/ZnSe quantum wells are given and discussed. Theoretical results show that the exciton-phonon coupling reduces both the exciton binding energies and the Stark shifts by screening the Coulomb interaction. This effect is observable experimentally and cannot be neglected.     

Giant increase in the longitudinal magnetic moment of an exciton in motion

The observation of a new physical phenomenon, a giant increase in the longitudinal magnetic moment of an exciton in motion, is reported. The effect is observed in the wide GaAs-, CdTe-, and ZnSe-based quantum wells, with a width much larger than the exciton Bohr radius, and hence relates to any crystals with a zinc-blend structure.     

Determination of excitonic binding energies in symmetrically strained (GaIn)As/Ga(AsP) multiple quantum wells using quantum beat spectroscopy

We have performed sub-picosecond four-wave mixing experiments on a series of symmetrically strained (GaIn)As/Ga(AsP) multiple quantum wells. We show that these measurements allow a precise determination of exciton binding energies. One of the advantages of this quantum beat method as compared to linear optical methods is that a determination of the exciton binding energy is possible even in the presence of considerable inhomogeneous broadening. In addition, the dependence of the exciton binding energy on the strain in the (GaIn)As quantum well layers suggests that the reduced electron-hole effective mass is not influenced by the increase in strain.     

Self-consistent Hartree method for calculations of exciton binding energy in quantum wells

A new computationally efficient and flexible approach to calculating characteristics of excitons in quantum wells based on a self-consistent variational treatment of the electron–hole Coulomb interaction is developed. It is applied to several different quantum well materials and is shown to give much better (lower) values of exciton energies. The iterative scheme used to calculate the energies and respective wave functions is stable and rapidly convergent. The authors believe that the method can be an important computational tool in computing exciton characteristics in shallow quantum wells exceeding currently existing approaches in accuracy and efficiency. The method can also be naturally generalized for quantum wires and dots.     

Energy scaling for multi-exciton complexes in semiconductor quantum dots

The ground state properties of an multi-exciton (ME) complex localized in a nanoscale semiconductor quantum dot (QD) have been studied. The calculations have been performed using the envelope function approximation for electron and hole motion in the QD. The many-body quantum mechanical treatment of the electron-hole dynamics was done within the Density Functional Theory approach. The ground state energy dependencies upon QD radius, number of electron-hole pairs, QD dielectric function and effective masses of electron and holes have been analyzed. It is demonstrated that when multi-exciton complex is strongly localized within the QD, the physical properties of the system are determined by a single parameter, the ratio of QD and free exciton radii, and its binding energy is given by the function of this parameter multiplied by the binding energy of an isolated exciton in bulk semiconductor.     

Dynamics of the phase transitions in the system of nonequilibrium charge carriers in quantum-dimensional Si1 − x Ge x /Si structures

The dynamics of the phase transition from an electron-hole plasma to an exciton gas is studied during pulsed excitation of heterostructures with Si_{1 ? x} Ge _x /Si quantum wells. The scenario of the phase transition is shown to depend radically on the germanium content in the Si_{1 ? x} Ge _x layer. The electron-hole system decomposes into a rarefied exciton and a dense plasma phases for quantum wells with a germanium content x = 3.5% in the time range 100–500 ns after an excitation pulse. In this case, the electron-hole plasma existing in quantum wells has all signs of an electron-hole liquid. A qualitatively different picture of the phase transition is observed for quantum wells with x = 9.5%, where no separation into phases with different electronic spectra is detected. The carrier recombination in the electron-hole plasma leads a gradual weakening of screening and the appearance of exciton states. For a germanium content of 5–7%, the scenario of the phase transition is complex: 20–250 ns after an excitation pulse, the properties of the electron-hole system are described in terms of a homogeneous electron-hole plasma, whereas its separation into an electron-hole liquid and an exciton gas is detected after 350 ns. It is shown that, for the electron-hole liquid to exist in quantum wells with x = 5–7% Ge, the exciton gas should have a substantially higher density than in quantum wells with x = 3.5% Ge. This finding agrees with a decrease in the depth of the local minimum of the electron-hole plasma energy with increasing germanium concentration in the SiGe layer. An increase in the density of the exciton gas coexisting with the electron-hole liquid is shown to enhance the role of multiparticle states, which are likely to be represented by trions T ⁺ and biexcitons, in the exciton gas.     

The effects of indium segregation on exciton binding energy and oscillator strength in GaInAs/GaAs quantum wells

We solve analytically the Schrödinger equation taking into account the shape changes of GaInAs/GaAs quantum wells due to indium segregation during the MBE growth by using transfer matrix method. The indium compositional profiles of the quantum wells are provided using the phenomenological model. The fundamental transition energy, binding energy and oscillator strength of excitons as a function of indium segregation coefficient R$R$ and well width are studied. For narrow wells (less than 40 ML), the exciton binding energy and oscillator strength decrease, but for wide wells (larger than 40 ML), increase with increasing the segregation coefficient R$R$. It is shown that indium segregation degrades the optical properties and results in a blue-shift of exciton transition energy in GaInAs/GaAs quantum wells.