Possibility of improved frequency response from intermixed quantum-well devices

We have measured the carrier capture times into intermixed In_0.15Ga_0.85As/Al_0.2Ga_0.8As quantum wells using the photoluminescence up-conversion technique. We confirm that the carrier capture into intermixed quantum wells is significantly shorter than capture into similar but nonintermixed samples. Using below and above band-gap excitation we were able to separate the various components effecting the carrier capture into the quantum well. We show that the reduction in the carrier capture times is not related to the introduction of nonradiative centres but is the consequence of the change in the quantum well potential caused by intermixing. These results indicate that intermixed devices may have higher cut-off modulation frequency than similar but nonintermixed devices.     

Energy levels of single nonabrupt GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs quantum wells

Energy levels of electrons in nonabrupt GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs single quantum wells are calculated with and beyond the constant interfacial effective mass approximation (CIEMA), and compared with those of abrupt GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs quantum wells. For a given interface width, the energy levels calculated with the CIEMA are higher than those calculated beyond it, but both are higher than those of the abrupt semiconductor quantum well. The shifts of the energy levels increase with the interfacial width of the nonabrupt quantum well, as well as with the degree of interfacial asymmetry.     

量子阱中的电子关联

运用Bohm-Pines理论，提出了二维及准二维电子气的普适关联因子，并由关联基函数（CBF）方法，求解得Al_xGa_1-xAs-GaAs量子阱的关联函数、交换能和关联能 关键词：     

The effects of quantum wells number and the built-in polarization on the performance of quaternary AlInGaN UV laser diode

The performance of quaternary Al_0.08In_0.08Ga_0.84N multi-quantum well (MQW) laser diodes (LDs) using the simulation program of Integrated System Engineering Technical Computer Aided design (ISE TCAD) was studied. The simulation results show that the low threshold current, high output power and slope efficiency can be obtained when the quantum wells number is 4. Although, the fourth quantum well which placed in the right side (n-side) of the active region has a negative value of optical gain this means that the optical gain does not occur in this quantum well of laser structure. However, high external differential quantum efficiency (DQE) inside the active region was also observed. Optical gain and intensity were increased when the numbers of quantum wells increase reached 4. The built-in electric field effect inside the quantum well leads to the reduction of the overlap integral between the electrons and holes by separating their wave function was included. As well as, Al_0.25In_0.08Ga_0.67N electron blocking layer (EBL) employed to enhance the performance of Al_0.08In_0.08Ga_0.84N MQW LDs by increasing the optical confinement factor (OCF) inside the quantum wells.     

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.     

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.     

Influence of state hybridization on low-temperature electron transport in shallow quantum wells

We investigate the lateral low-temperature electron transport in shallow pseudomorphous two-sided δ-doped GaAs/In_0.12Ga_0.88As/GaAs quantum wells (QWs) depending on the QW width, doping level, and the presence of a thin central AlAs barrier. Such a barrier is shown to change the band structure and wave functions of electrons in the QWs, causing a significant change in the scattering of electrons and a change in their mobility.     

Vertical transport, transmission coefficients, and dwell time in asymmetric quantum well structures

The transport of hot electrons in the Al_xGa_1−xAs barriers above the wells in a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure is investigated. The structures that are studied are asymmetric quantum well infrared detectors. The transport of the hot electrons normal to the layers is strongly dependent on both voltage and well shape. It is suggested that the key parameter which affects the transport properties is the dwell time of the electrons in the continuum, above the well region. This is most readily seen in asymmetric MQW structures, in which the dwell time under an applied bias depends very strongly on bias polarity. Calculations of electron transmission coefficient and dwell time show that the electron mean free path in asymmetric wells is much larger in positive bias than in a negative one. Employing this model, we achieve a very good fit to experimental data.     

Excitonic state in quantum wells formed from “above-barrier” electronic states

Lines corresponding to localized excitonic states formed from “above-barrier” electron and/or hole states (specifically, excitation lines of excitons formed by an electron localized in a QW and a free heavy hole) have been observed in the photoluminescence excitation spectra of GaAs/Al_0.05Ga_0.95As structures with quantum wells (QWs), each containing one single-particle size-quantization level for charge carriers of each type. A computational method is proposed that permits finding the binding energy and wave functions of excitons in QWs taking the Coulomb potential into account self-consistently. The computed values of the excitonic transition energies agree quite well with the experimental results. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 9, 613–619 (10 November 1999)     

Zeeman splitting of single semiconductor impurities in resonant tunneling heterostructures

Zeeman splitting of the ground state of single impurities in the quantum wells of resonant tunneling heterostructures is reported. We determine the absolute magnitude of the effective magnetic spin splitting factorg* for a single impurity in a 44 Å Al_0.27Ga_0.73As/GaAs/Al_0.27Ga_0.73As quantum well to be 0.28±0.02. This system also allows for independent measurement of the electron tunneling rates through the two potential barriers and estimation of the occupation probability of the impurity state in the quantum well.     

Single quantum well transistor with modulation doped AlGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs structures

Self-consistent calculations have been performed to obtain the wave functions and energy subbands of the two-dimensional electrons confined in a single quantum well of a Al_xGa_1?xAs/GaAs/Al_xGa_1?xAs heterostructure. The wave functions of the two-dimensional electron gas are found to be easily controlled by an external gate voltage applied between the AlGaAs-barriers, indicating a capability of fabricating a novel quantum well device, a modulation-doped single quantum well transistor.     

Inter- and intra-subband relaxation of hot electrons in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

In this work, we have studied the inter- and intra-subband scattering of hot electrons in quantum wells using the hot electron-neutral acceptor luminescence technique. We have observed direct evidence of the emission of confined optical phonons by hot electrons excited slightly above the n=2 subband in GaAs/Al_0.37Ga_0.63As quantum wells. Scattering rates of photoexcited electrons via inter- and intra-subband LO phonon emission were calculated based on the dielectric continuum model. We found that, for wide wells with the Al composition of our experiments, both the calculated and experimental results suggest that the scattering of the electrons is dominated by the confined LO phonon mode. In the calculations, scatterings among higher subbands are also dominated by the same type of phonon at well width of 10 nm.     

Picosecond luminescence of AlxGa1-xAs and GaAs double quantum well structures under high pressure

Abstract

The time-resolved luminescence of an electron-hole plasma in Al_0.36Ga_0.64As was studied as a function of pressure. Application of hydrostatic pressure varies the energy separation between the conduction band minima at Г and X. The dependence of the intensity ratio of the zero-phonon line and the two phonon replicas on this energy separation shows that scattering from X to Г by alloy disorder is as effective as scattering by phonons. We have further studied the tunneling of electrons between two GaAs quantum wells (QW) of different thicknesses through an Al_0.35Ga_0.65As barrier. The lifetime of electrons in the narrow QW, which is limitd by electron tunneling into the wider QW, stays constant from 0 to 2.4 GPa, where it drops within 0.1 GPa from 140 ps to less than 7 ps. At this pressure the X-point energy of the barrier coincides with the electron level in the wider QW. We infer that tunneling occurs only via the Г states in the barrier and that X states become effective only when real-state transfer is possible.     

Effect of the excitation level on the thermal quenching and dynamics of the photoluminescence of GaAs/AlGaAs shallow quantum well structures

The effect of the excitation level on the dynamics of heavy-hole exciton photoluminescence in tunneling-isolated GaAs/Al _x Ga_{1 − x} As (x = 0.05) shallow quantum wells at temperatures of 5 to 70 K is investigated. It is shown that the exciton lifetimes depend strongly on the excitation level, while the activation energies characterizing the thermal escape of nonequilibrium charge carriers from the wells virtually do not.     

Electron mobilities in isomorphic In0.53Ga0.47As quantum wells on InP substrates

The influence of the doping level, illumination, and width of isomorphic In_0.52Al_0.48As/In_0.53Ga_0.47As/In_0.52Al_0.48As quantum wells grown on InP substrates on the electron mobility is studied. The persistent photoconductivity at low temperatures is found. Band diagrams are calculated and optimal parameters are found for obtaining the maximum electron mobility. The quantum and transport electron mobilities in dimensional quantization subbands are obtained from the Shubnikov-de Haas effect. The electron mobilities are calculated in dimensional quantization subbands upon scattering by ionized impurities taking intersubband transitions into account. Scattering by ionized impurities in samples studied is shown to be dominant at low temperatures.     

Effect of barrier configuration on excitonic recombination in Ga.47In.53As/Al.48In.52As multi quantum well structures

Photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy on Ga_.47In_.53As multi quantum wells confined either by homogenous ternary Al_.48In_.52As barriers or by Ga_.47In_.53As/Al_.48In_.52As short-period superlattice (SPS) barriers show that the confinement by SPS barriers improves the edge luminescence significantly. The spectral width of the free-exciton absorption and the low-temperature emission peak as well as the Stokes-shift between emission and excitation spectra are reduced as compared to samples clad by homogenous ternary Al_.48In_.52As barriers. Based on temperature-dependent emission and excitation measurements, the dominant low-temperature emission line in the SPS-clad Ga_.47In_.53As multi quantum wells is assigned to intrinsic excitonic recombination.     

Origin of the blueshift in the infrared absorbance of intersubband transitions in N/GaN multiple quantum wells

A self-consistent calculation of the subband energy levels of n-doped quantum wells is studied. A comparison is made between theoretical results and experimental data. In order to account for the deviations between them, the ground-state electron–electron exchange interactions, the ground-state direct Coulomb interactions, the depolarization effect, and the exciton-like effect are considered in the simulations. The agreement between theory and experiment is greatly improved when all these aspects are taken into account. The ground-to-excited-state energy difference increases by 8 meV from its self-consistent value if one considers the depolarization effect and the exciton-like effect only. It appears that the electron–electron exchange interactions account for most of the observed residual blueshift for the infrared intersubband absorbance in Al_xGa_1-xN/GaN multiple quantum wells. It seems that electrons on the surface of the k-space Fermi gas make the main contribution to the electron–electron exchange interactions, while for electrons further inside the Fermi gas it is difficult to exchange their positions.     

Screening effect on polarizabilities of shallow donors and acceptors in infinite-barrier quantum wells

Polarizabilities of shallow donors and acceptors in infinite-barrier GaAs/Ga_1−xAl_xAs quantum wells have been calculated using the Hasse variational method within the effective mass approximation. The effect of spatially dependent screening on polarizabilities is taken into account with anr-dependent dielectric response. The effects of electric and magnetic fields are also presented.     

Effect of interface roughness on the density of states of finite barrier height quantum wells

We calculate the density of states of a 2D electron gas in finite barrier height quantum wells with the explicit inclusion of the interface roughness effect. By using Feynman path-integral method, the analytic expression is derived. The results show that the 2D density of states is dependent on the RMS of the fluctuation potential. The interface roughness causes localized states below the subband edge. We also apply the theory to model the finite barrier height quantum wells in Al_xGa_1?xAs/GaAs.     

Spin-orbit interaction in coupled quantum wells

We theoretically investigate the spin-orbit interaction in GaAs/AlxGa1 x As coupled quantum wells. We consider the contribution of the interface-related Rashba term as well as the linear and cubic Dresselhaus terms to the spin splitting. For the coupled quantum wells which bear an inherent structure inversion asymmetry, the same probability density distribution of electrons in the two step quantum wells results in a large spin splitting from the interface term. If the widths of the two step quantum wells are different, the electron probability density in the wider step quantum well is considerably higher than that in the narrower one, resulting in the decrease of the spin splitting from the interface term. The results also show that the spin splitting of the coupled quantum well is not significantly larger than that of a step quantum well.