Fabrication and characterization of a vertical pillar structure including a self-assembled quantum dot and a quantum well

We fabricate and characterize a novel vertical pillar structure including a self-assembled InAs quantum dot (QD) and an InGaAs quantum well (QW). The vertical current through both the InAs QD and an electrostatically defined QD made in the InGaAs QW can be measured by adjusting the position of the InGaAs QD in the QW plane relative to the InAs QD with two side-gate voltages applied independently. We study optical response of the current through the vertical double QD by irradiating light, which is assumed to be mainly absorbed in the InAs QDs. We successfully probe a time-dependent energy level shift due to the Coulomb interaction from holes trapped in the vicinity of the pillar.     

The influence of a continuum background on photoluminescence of self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots

We have investigated the effect of the low energy tail of the continuum states associated with wetting layers (WL tail) on temperature dependence of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra of self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots. We have developed a model that studies this effect. The results of this model suggest that the WL tail play an important role in the evolution according to the temperature of the PL spectra. We have also estimated that the capture into the QD ground state is via the WL tail.     

Measurement of a heavy-hole hyperfine interaction in InGaAs quantum dots using resonance fluorescence

We measure the strength and the sign of hyperfine interaction of a heavy hole with nuclear spins in single self-assembled quantum dots. Our experiments utilize the locking of a quantum dot resonance to an incident laser frequency to generate nuclear spin polarization. By monitoring the resulting Overhauser shift of optical transitions that are split either by electron or exciton Zeeman energy with respect to the locked transition using resonance fluorescence, we find that the ratio of the heavy-hole and electron hyperfine interactions is -0.09 ± 0.02 in three quantum dots. Since hyperfine interactions constitute the principal decoherence source for spin qubits, we expect our results to be important for efforts aimed at using heavy-hole spins in quantum information processing.     

Temperature-dependent photoluminescence of vertically stacked self-assembled CdSe quantum dots in ZnSe

We studied the optical properties of multiple layers of self-assembled CdSe quantum dots (QDs) embedded in ZnSe, grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The ZnSe barrier thicknesses separating the QD layers ranged from 30 to 60 monolayers (ML). For stacks with thinnest ZnSe barriers photoluminescence (PL) measurements reveal blue shifts as large as 180 meV relative to PL observed for single QD layers. The amount of blue shift decreases with increasing barrier thickness, and for the 60 ML spacer the PL energy returns to that emitted by a single layer of QDs. Temperature dependence of the integrated intensity of the emission spectra reveals that the activation energy for PL quenching is largest for barrier thicknesses of 30 and 45 ML. We tentatively attribute these effects to a decrease in the size of the vertically stacked QDs when the thickness of the barrier layers is small.     

Lateral electric field effects on quantum size confinement in cylindrical quantum dot under parabolic potential

Within the effective mass approximation, we investigated theoretically the ground-state energy of a single particle and the binding energy of the neutral donor impurity (D⁰) affected by a lateral electric field in a parabolic quantum dot (QD). The results show that the electron and the hole ground-state energy and the band to band transition energies shift to lower values (red shift) by increasing the field intensity. The quantum Stark shift (QSS) for the electron increases rapidly in the quasi spherical QD (QSQD) by increasing the lateral field, whereas for the hole it increases monotony. In the cylindrical QDs (CQDs), we found that the QSS for electron and hole increase monotonically. The quantum size, lateral electric field and impurity position effect on the binding energy of neutral donor (D⁰) is studied. Unexpected behavior of D⁰ in quantum well limit (QW), the binding energy of D⁰ is increasing (blue shift) with increasing QD radius R$R$ at the presence of a lateral electric field. It appears that for a fixed size of the QD, the off-center binding energy decreases when the impurity ion is displaced from the center to the QD borders, while it is shifted to lower energy with increasing the field.     

Photoreflectance characterization of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots grown by ALMBE

We report on a photoreflectance investigation in the 0.8-1.5 eV photon energy range and at temperatures from 80 to 300 K on stacked layers of InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) grown by Atomic-Layer Molecular Beam Epitaxy. We observed clear and well-resolved structures, which we attribute to the optical response of different QD families. The dependence of the ground state transition energy on the number of stacked QD layers is investigated and discussed considering vertical coupling between dots of the same column. It is shown that Coulomb interaction can account for the observed optical response of QD families with different morphology coexisting in the same sample. Received 17 November 1999     

Triggered single-photon emission and cross-correlation properties in InAlAs quantum dot

Triggered single-photon generation from InAlAs quantum dot (QD) was demonstrated for the first time. Emitted photon energy coincides with high detection efficiency range of Si single-photon detectors, which is highly suitable for free-space communication. Single-QD spectroscopy and crossed photon correlation measurements unambiguously revealed that several emitting lines observed in a single mesa structure originated from the identical QD, and two temporary competing decay processes associated with neutral states and charged states were identified. Presence of the competing process is also inferred from an analysis of steady-state photoluminescence intensities. Formation process of charged exciton in QD is also discussed.     

Hydrostatic pressure effects on impurity states in InAs/GaAs quantum dot

Within the framework of effective-mass approximation, the hydrostatic pressure effects on the donor binding energy of a hydrogenic impurity in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot(QD) are investigated by means of a variational method. Numerical results show that the donor binding energy increases when the hydrostatic pressure increases for any impurity position and QD size. Moreover, the hydrostatic pressure has a remarkable influence on the donor binding energy for small QD. Realistic cases, including the impurity in the QD and the surrounding barrier, are considered.     

Coulomb charging effect of electrons in InAs/InAlAs quantum dots studied by capacitance techniques

Capacitance-voltage and deep level transient spectroscopy were used to study the capture characteristics of self-assembled InAs/InAlAs quantum dots grown on the InP substrate. It is found that the number of electrons captured by quantum dots can be controlled by varying the width of applied pulse voltage in the DLTS measurements. The Coulomb charging energy and the time of capture can be deduced from the filling time dependent deep level transient spectra.     

Estimation of built-in dipole moment in InAs quantum dots

We have fabricated a Schottky diode embedding InAs self-assembled quantum dots (QDs) grown by alternately supplying In and As sources. As a function of the electric field, we have investigated the photoluminescence (PL) for the InAs QDs in the Schottky diode at 300 K. We controlled the electric field in order that the QD layer was located in the depletion region of Schottky diode. The relationship between the electric field and the depletion width of the Schottky diode was deduced through the capacitance-voltage measurement. The Stark shift was observed in PL spectra for QDs; the energy of the PL line shifted to the lower energy as the electric field increased. It was also observed that the PL emission intensity gradually decreased. By the fitting to the experimental data, we determined a built-in dipole moment, corresponding to an electron-hole separation.     

Thermal stability of quaternary alloy (InAlGaAs)-capped InAs/GaAs multilayer quantum dot heterostructures with variation in growth rate, barrier thickness, seed quantum dot monolayer coverage, and post-growth annealing

Strain-driven influences on the structural and optoelectronic properties of self-assembled InAs/GaAs multilayer quantum dot (MQD) heterostructures prompted our research into the growth of thermally stable MQD samples that were functional in an emission range technically favorable for communication lasers and intermediate band gap solar cells. We also studied parameter optimization by varying growth rate, capping layer thickness, seed quantum dot (QD) monolayer coverage, and post-growth annealing. A capping combination of InAlGaAs and i-GaAs was used. This combination helps in strain compensation, favors growth of multiple QD layers, functions as a strain-driven phase separation alloy, and helps increase QD stability. Photoluminescence results showed MQD sample emissions in the technologically significant range of 1.1–1.3 μm. Post-growth annealing at high temperatures led to inter-diffusion of the constituent QD materials, generation of low minimum energy states, and greater carrier involvement in intermediate band gap structures, thereby showing that annealing is a suitable method for post-growth manipulation. For one MQD sample, the annealing temperature was found to affect structural and optoelectronic properties as well as the presence of intermediate energy states. Heterostructure stability at annealing temperatures up to 750 ^°C was found for the other samples. Transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence results supported these findings.     

Abnormal temperature dependence of photoluminescence from self-assembled InAs quantum dots covered by an InAlAs/InGaAs combination layer

In this report we have investigated the temperature dependence of photoluminescence (PL) from self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) covered by an InAlAs/InGaAs combination layer. The ground state experiences an abnormal variation of PL linewidth from 15 K up to room temperature. Meanwhile, the PL integrated intensity ratio of the first excited state to the ground state for InAs QDs unexpectedly decreases with increasing temperature, which we attribute to the phonon bottleneck effect. We believe that these experimental results are closely related to the partially coupled quantum dots system and the large energy separation between the ground and the first excited states.     

Wavelength and polarization selective multi-band tunnelling quantum dot detectors

The reduction of the dark current without reducing the photocurrent is a considerable challenge in developing far-infrared (FIR)/terahertz detectors. Since quantum dot (QD) based detectors inherently show low dark current, a QD-based structure is an appropriate choice for terahertz detectors. The work reported here discusses multi-band tunnelling quantum dot infrared photo detector (T-QDIP) structures designed for high temperature operation covering the range from mid-to far-infrared. These structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy consist of a QD (InGaAs or InAlAs) placed in a well (GaAs/AlGaAs) with a double-barrier system (AlGaAs/InGaAs/AlGaAs) adjacent to it. The photocurrent, which can be selectively collected by resonant tunnelling, is generated by a transition of carriers from the ground state in the QD to a state in the well coupled with a state in the double-barrier system. The double-barrier system blocks the majority of carriers contributing to the dark current. Several important properties of T-QDIP detectors such as the multi-colour (multi-band) nature of the photoresponse, the selectivity of the operating wavelength by the applied bias, and the polarization sensitivity of the response peaks, are also discussed.     

量子点操控的光子探测和圆偏振光子发射

半导体量子点是研究光子与电子态相互作用的优选固态体系,并在光子探测和发射两个方向上展现出独特的技术机遇.其中基于量子点的共振隧穿结构被认为在单光子探测方面综合性能最佳,但受到光子数识别、工作温度两个关键性能的制约.利用腔模激子态外场耦合效应,有望获得圆偏振态可控的高频单光子发射.本文介绍作者提出的量子点耦合共振隧穿（QD-cRTD）的光子探测机理,利用量子点量子阱复合电子态的隧穿放大,将QD-cRTD光子探测的工作温度由液氦提高至液氮条件,光电响应的增益达到10⁷以上,并具备双光子识别能力;同时,由量子点能级的直接吸收,原型器件获得了近红外的光子响应.在量子点光子发射机理的研究方面,作者实现了量子点激子跃迁和微腔腔模共振耦合的磁场调控,在Purcell效应的作用下增强激子自旋态的自发辐射速率,从而增强量子点中左旋或右旋圆偏振光的发射强度,圆偏度达到90%以上,形成一种光子自旋可控发射的新途径.     

Exciton-phonon coupling channels in a ‘strain-free’ GaAs droplet epitaxy single quantum dot

We examine the temperature-dependent excitonic transition energy shift of strain-free GaAs droplet epitaxy (DE) quantum dots (QDs). Interestingly the statistical investigation of QD optical properties enables us to observe three distinct temperature dispersions for four series of DE QDs. We present comparative analyses of the exciton-phonon coupling mechanisms employing various empirical to multi-oscillator models associated with each QD-specific phonon dispersion spectrum. The systematic investigation of such QD exciton-phonon coupling is crucial for fine control of local defects in engineered quantum dot single-photon sources.     

Strong generation of coherent acoustic phonons in semiconductor quantum dots

We present experimental results obtained in two-color pump-probe experiments performed in semiconductor self-assembled quantum dot (QD) layers. The sample reflectivities present several acoustic contributions, among which are strong acoustic phonon wave packets. A comparison between one- and two-color experiments and a fine analysis of the echo shape attest that a high magnitude phonon pulse emerges from each single QD layer. This conclusion is supported by a numerical modeling which perfectly reproduces our experimental signals only if we introduce a strong generation in each QD layer. We explain such a strong emission thanks to an efficient capture of the carriers by the QDs.     

Study of post-growth annealing and Ga coverage effects in low-density GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown by modified droplet epitaxy

We present a detailed analysis of the Ga coverage and of the post-growth annealing effects on the optical properties of very-low-density self-assembled GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown by modified droplet epitaxy. Through theoretical calculation of the QD electronic states, including thermally activated Al–Ga interdiffusion processes, we were able to relate our spectroscopic observations to QD structural properties.     

Emission from neutral and charged excitons in a single quantum dot in a magnetic field

We report on optical spectroscopy of self-assembled InAs quantum dots in a magnetic field. We describe how we measure the emission characteristics of a single quantum dot (QD) in high magnetic fields at low temperature using a miniature, fiber-based confocal microscope. Example results are presented on a QD whose charge can be controlled using a field-effect device. For the uncharged, singly and doubly charged excitons we find a diamagnetism and the spin Zeeman effect. In contrast, for the triply-charged exciton we find a fundamentally different behavior. Anti-crossings in magnetic field imply that confined states of the QD are hybridized with Landau-like levels associated with the two-dimensional continuum.     

Sb/As intermixing in self-assembled GaSb/GaAs type II quantum dot systems and control of their photoluminescence spectra

The intermixing of Sb and As atoms induced by rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was investigated for type II GaSb/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots (QD) formed by molecular beam epitaxy growth. Just as in InAs/GaAs QD systems, the intermixing induces a remarkable blueshift of the photoluminescence (PL) peak of QDs and reduces the inhomogeneous broadening of PL peaks for both QD ensemble and wetting layer (WL) as consequences of the weakening of quantum confinement. Contrary to InAs/GaAs QDs systems, however, the intermixing has led to a pronounced exponential increase in PL intensity for GaSb QDs with annealing temperature up to 875 °C. By analyzing the temperature dependence of PL for QDs annealed at 700, 750 and 800 °C, activation energies of PL quenching from QDs at high temperatures are 176.4, 146 and 73.9 meV. The decrease of QD activation energy with annealing temperatures indicates the reduction of hole localization energy in type II QDs due to the Sb/As intermixing. The activation energy for the WL PL was found to drastically decrease when annealed at 800 °C where the QD PL intensity surpassed WL.     

Polarization selective magneto-optical study on the coupled quantum dots using resonant excitation

We have studied a double-layer self-assembled quantum dot (QD) structures consisting of non-magnetic CdSe and magnetic CdMnSe. Transmission electron microscopy image shows that QDs are formed within the CdSe and CdMnSe layers, and they are vertically correlated in the system. The strong interband ground state transition was observed in magneto-photoluminescence (PL) experiments. In contrast to a typical behavior for many low-dimensional systems involving diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMSs), where PL signal dramatically increases when an external magnetic field is applied, we have observed a significant decrease of the PL intensity as a function of magnetic field in the double-layer structures where the alternating QD layers contain the DMS and non-DMS QDs. We attribute such effect to carrier transfer from non-magnetic CdSe dots to magnetic CdMnSe dots due to the large Zeeman shift of the band edges of DMS QDs in magnetic field. Since the band alignment of QD structure strongly depends on the spin states of system, we performed polarization-selective PL measurement to identify spin-dependent carrier tunneling in this coupled system.