Carrier recombination kinetics in (3 1 1)A InGaAs sidewall quantum wires

We present a study of the optical properties and carrier dynamics in strained InGaAs sidewall quantum wires (QWR) on patterned GaAs (3 1 1)A substrates by means of picosecond time-resolved photoluminescence (PL). A pronounced dynamical red shift of the QWR-PL band when increasing the delay time after the pulse excitation is observed. In addition, time-resolved data show a significant shortening of the PL decay time from the wire at short delay and when high excitation power is used. The data are compared with theoretical predictions. The results, i.e. the dynamical red shift observed in the wire emission and the shortening of the PL decay with increasing the excitation density, are interpreted in terms of a dynamical screening effect of the piezoelectric field.     

V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线结构的微区光致发光谱研究

在室温下用显微光致发光的方法对单根V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线进行了沿垂直于量子线方向的 空间分辨扫描测试,观察到各种量子结构的光致发光谱随空间位置的变化.在量子线区域附 近观察到来自量子线(QWR)、颈部量子阱(NQWL)和垂直量子阱(VQWL)等各种结构的发光,而 在距离量子线约1μm以远的发光光谱表现出侧面量子阱(SQWL)的发光.对全部发光光谱用高 斯线形进行了拟合,发现QWR和SQWL的发光包含了两个荧光峰,将它们分别归诸为电子到轻 、重空穴的跃迁.拟合后发光强度的空间变化直接确定了与量子线 关键词： V形GaAs/AlGaAs量子线 显微光致发光 空间分辨扫描     

Time-resolved cathodoluminescence of InGaAs/AlGaAs tetrahedral pyramidal quantum structures

An original time resolved cathodoluminescence set up has been used to investigate the optical properties and the carrier transport in quantum structures located in InGaAs/AlGaAs tetrahedral pyramids. An InGaAs quantum dot formed just below the top of the pyramid is connected to four types of low-dimensional barriers: InGaAs quantum wires on the edges of the pyramid, InGaAs quantum wells on the (111)A facets and segregated AlGaAs vertical quantum wire and AlGaAs vertical quantum wells formed at the centre and at the pyramid edges. Experiments were performed at a temperature of 92 K, an accelerating voltage of 10 kV and a beam probe current of 10 pA. The cathodoluminescence spectrum shows five luminescence peaks. Rise and decay times for the different emission wavelengths provide a clear confirmation of the peak attribution (previously done with other techniques) to the different nanostructures grown in a pyramid. Moreover, experimental results suggest a scenario where carriers diffuse from the lateral quantum structures towards the central structures (the InGaAs quantum dot and the segregated AlGaAs vertical quantum wire) via the InGaAs quantum wires on the edges of the pyramid. According to this hypothesis, we have modeled the carrier diffusion along these quantum wires. An ambipolar carrier mobility of 1400 cm²/V s allows to obtain a good fit to all temporal dependences. PACS 78.67.-n     

Time-resolved photoluminescence spectra of high-density InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire structures

We investigated the temperature dependence of the time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectra of high-density InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire (QWR) distributed-feedback laser structure on a submicron grating. A red-shift of peak in the time-resolved PL after photo-excitation was observed due to the relaxation of the photo-generated excitons from the entire QWR to localized centers at 10 K. On the other hand, at 60 K, no red-shift in the time-resolved PL spectra was observed since the localization centers are thermally activated and the excitons are delocalized.     

A study of GaInP/GaAs interfaces: metallurgical coupling of successive quantum wells

We present a study of GaInP/GaAs interfaces by means of photoluminescence (PL) of multi quantum wells (MQW), embedded in GaInP, or asymmetric structures having an AlGaAs barrier GaInP/GaAs/AlGaAs. The PL energies of quantum wells were compared with calculations based on the transfer matrix envelope function approximation, well suited for asymmetric structures. GaInP/GaAs/AlGaAs MQW structures (GaInP grown first) are in reasonably good agreement with calculations. Reverse ones, AlGaAs/GaAs/GaInP, present a lower PL energy than calculated. But the agreement with theory is recovered on single quantum well samples, or in MQW when the GaInP thickness is increased up to 100 nm. We interpret this phenomenon as a diffusion of arsenic atoms from the next GaAs well through the GaInP barrier. Arsenic atoms exchange with phosphorus atoms at the GaInP-on-GaAs interface of the former well, leading to a small gap strained InGaAs region responsible for the lowering of PL energies.     

A study for the cartography of the interface roughness of V-shaped AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wires

We present a theoretical study for the cartography of the interface roughness of AlGaAs/ GaAs V-shaped quantum wires which is reflected on the photoluminescence and micro-photoluminescence spectra of these structures. The model developed is based on the existence of microscopic compositional fluctuations at the interfaces. The fine structure of the micro-photoluminescence spectrum is attributed to localized excitonic states in island-like fluctuations which act as quantum boxes distributed along the free direction of the wire. The fluctuation of the concentration of these boxes together with the estimation of their sizes are used to explain the evolution of the signals along the wire axis and to produce the overall photoluminescence spectrum. The model is applied to a V-shaped Al_0.3Ga_0.7As/GaAs quantum wire and reproduces successfully the observed photoluminescence and micro-photoluminescence characteristics.     

亚单层InGaAs量子点-量子阱异质结构的时间分辨光致发光谱

测定了亚单层InGaAs/GaAs量子点-量子阱异质结构在5K下的时间分辨光致发光谱.亚单层量 子点的辐射寿命在500 ps 至 800 ps之间，随量子点尺寸的增大而增大，与量子点中激子的 较小的横向限制能以及激子从小量子点向大量子点的隧穿转移有关.光致发光上升时间强烈 依赖于激发强度密度.在弱激发强度密度下，上升时间为 35 ps，纵光学声子发射为主要的 载流子俘获机理.在强激发强度密度下，上升时间随激发强度密度的增加而减小，俄歇过程 为主要的载流子俘获机理.该结果对理解亚单层量子点器件的工作特性非常有用. 关键词： 亚单层 量子点-量子阱 时间分辨光致发光谱     

Direct evidence for quantum contact resistance effects in V-groove quantum wires

The effect of quantum contact resistance on one-dimensional (1D) electrical conductance was investigated in quantum wires (QWR) realized with V-shaped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The transition length between the electron reservoir and the QWR was controlled by employing an electric field. The required transition length is found to decrease with increasing overlap between the 2D states in the reservoir and the 1D states in the QWR.     

First room temperature lasing from the fundamental state of V-grooved quantum wire lasers

Lasing from the ground state electron and heavy-hole-like transition of quantum wire (QWR) is demonstrated for the first time at room temperature, with an oxide-isolated V-grooved GaAs/AlGaAs triple QWR laser grown by flow-rate modulation epitaxy (FME). The lasing peaks at all temperatures (4–300 K) are in reasonably good agreement with both the photon energies of the peaks of the photoluminescence curves and the numerical calculation of the electronic sub-band energy states of the corresponding QWR structure. These results are considered to be responsible for the reduced heterointerface inhomogeneities (the Stokes shift 0.3 meV) of the FME grown QWR, giving a low-loss wave guide in the QWR laser.     

Formation of high-density hexagonal networks of InGaAs ridge quantum wires by atomic hydrogen-assisted selective molecular beam epitaxy

Feasibility of growth of InGaAs ridge quantum wire (QWR) hexagonal network structures by atomic hydrogen (H^*)-assisted selective molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is investigated for use in novel hexagonal quantum circuits based on the binary-decision diagram (BDD) architecture. The fabricated structures were characterized in detail by SEM, AFM, PL and CL measurements.

By using patterned substrates with mesa-pattern directions of 1 0 0– and 5 1 0– together with optimized H^*-assisted selective MBE, hexagonal networks of the sharp and uniform InGaAs ridge structures were realized down to submicron pitches. Embedded InGaAs QWR hexagonal networks were successfully formed on the ridge structures, giving prospects of realizing a node device density lager than 10⁸ cm⁻².     

Photoluminescence of single quantum wires and quantum dots

The results of a study into the photoluminescence spectra of a set of quantum dots based on GaAs enclosed in AlGaAs nanowires are presented. The steady state and time resolved spectra of photoluminescence under optical excitation both from an array of quantum wires/dots and a single quantum wire/dot have been measured. In the photoluminescence spectra of single quantum dots, emission lines of excitons, biexcitons and tritons have been found. The binding energy of the biexciton in the studied structures was deduced to be 8 meV.     

Absorption and photoluminescence studies of the temperature dependence of exciton life time in lattice-matched and strained quantum well systems

We present systematic studies of the temperature dependence of linewidths and lifetimes of excitonic transitions in quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy using both photoluminescence(PL) and optical absorption. The temperature ranged from 6K to room temperature. Samples under investigation were lattice-matched GaAs/AlGaAs and InGaAs/InAlAs, and strained InGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wellssystems. In addition, the effects of well-size variations in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells were measured and analyzed. In all cases we were able to observe the excitonic transitions up to room temperature. By a careful fitting of the experimental data we separated the exciton transitions from band-to-band transitions. By deconvoluting the excitonic transitions we obtained the homogeneous and inhomogeneous linewidths. The homogeneous linewidths were used to calculate the exciton lifetimes as a function of temperature using the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. We found the lifetime decreases significantly with temperature and increases with increasing well size. These results are interpreted in terms of the exciton-phonon interaction and are expected to be very useful for the design of semiconductor optical devices operating at different temperatures.     

Absorption and emission of terahertz radiation in doped GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells

Spontaneous emission of terahertz radiation from structures with GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells in a longitudinal magnetic field has been studied. It is shown that some bands in the emission spectrum can be related to radiative electron transitions between resonant and localized impurity states, as well as to the transitions with participation of subband states. The temperature dependence of the equilibrium intraband absorption of terahertz radiation and its modulation in a longitudinal electric field in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells has been investigated.     

Piezoelectric field effects on electron density in a δ-doped AlGaAs/InyGa1-yAs/GaAs pseudomorphic HEMT

We have calculated the low-temperature electron density in a -doped AlGaAs/InGaAs/GaAs heterostructure in the presence of a piezoelectric field. Growth of a strained InGaAs layer on (N11) GaAs substrates causes a piezoelectric field to be built into the quantum well of a pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). The presence of this field modifies the electronic properties of strained-layer heterostructures. A self-consistent analysis is made of these -doping systems to solve simultaneously the Schrödinger and Poisson equations taking into account exchange-correlation and strain effects. Thus, we have found the confining potential, the electron density, the subband energies, the eigenenvelope wavefunctions, and the Fermi-energy level in the quantum well. We have studied the effects of the InGaAs channel width and the indium composition on the electron density. Our results show a larger increase of the electron density when the calculated value is for a (111) GaAs substrate rather than for equivalent (001) and (311) substrates. We have also investigated the effects of the environmental Al concentration seen by the Si -doped on the electron density. PACS 71.76     

InGaAs/GaAs量子链的光学特性研究

研究了InGaAs/GaAs量子链的稳态和瞬态光谱特性,特别是载流子的动力学过程.实验发现荧光寿命有很强的探测能量依赖关系,荧光寿命随发光能量的增加而减小;实验还发现,当激发功率较小时,荧光寿命随激发功率增大而增大,当激发功率足够大时,荧光寿命趋于饱和.这些结果清楚地表明,在量子链结构中,参与发光的载流子之间存在明显的耦合和输运现象,进一步分析表明,这种输运主要是由于载流子沿量子链方向的耦合造成的.发光的偏振特性研究进一步证实了载流子沿量子链方向输运过程. 关键词： InGaAs/GaAs 量子点 量子链     

Quantized conductance in extended electron waveguides fabricated on shallow etched modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures

By high-resolution electron beam lithography and wet chemical etching extended electron waveguides with lengths up to 20 μm were fabricated on modulation-doped GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructures showing conductance quantization. For short electron waveguides 15 well-resolved steps in the conductance trace are observable. Conductance quantization is observed up to wire lengths comparable to the transport mean free path of electrons in the unconstrained two-dimensional electron gas, indicating that scattering due to fabrication induced defects is negligible in the present structures. By an analysis of temperature-dependent measurements the one-dimensional subband spacings are determined to be greater than 10 meV.     

Effect of barrier thickness on strain uniformity of wire in laterally aligned InGaAs/GaAs quantum wire nanostructures

The effect of barrier thickness on strain uniformity of a laterally aligned array of InGaAs quantum wire in GaAs matrix has been investigated with the finite elements method. A decrease in GaAs barrier thickness was predicted to assist the InGaAs wire to maintain its strain state in the central region up to a longer distance towards the edge of the wire along the width direction. It is suggested that, by reducing the spacing between the quantum wires, it is possible to improve uniformity of strains within the wire, thereby yielding more uniform opto-electronic properties such as sharp and narrow peaks in photoluminescence spectra.     

Spontaneous emission enhancement of quantum dots in a photonic crystal wire

Photonic wires are the simplest extended low-dimensional systems. Photonic crystal confinement confers them a divergent density of states at zero-group-velocity points, which leads to enhancement of spontaneous emission rates [D. Kleppner, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47, 233 (1981)10.1103/Phys. Rev. Lett. 47.233]. We experimentally evidence, for the first time, the spectral signature of these Purcell factor singularities, using the out-of-plane emission of InAs quantum dots buried in GaAs/AlGaAs based photonic crystal based wire. Additionally, in-plane collection at the wire exit shows large enhancements of the signal at some of the density of states singularities.     

Strongly confined quantum wire states in strained T-shaped GaAs/InAlAs structures

The confinement energy of T-shaped quantum wires (QWRs), which were fabricated by the cleaved edge overgrowth technique in a way that the QWRs form at the intersection of In_0.2Al_0.8As stressor layers and the overgrown (1 1 0) GaAs quantum well (QW), is examined using micro-photoluminescence spectroscopy. Photoluminescence (PL) signals from individual QWRs can be spatially resolved, since the strained films are separated by 1 μm wide Al_0.3Ga_0.7As layers. We find that due to the tensile strain being transmitted to the QW, the confinement energy of the QWRs rises systematically up to 40 meV with increasing thickness of the stressor layers. By reducing the excitation power to 0.1 μW the QWR PL emission occurs 48 meV redshifted with respect to the QW. All QWR peaks exhibit smooth lineshapes, indicating the absence of pronounced exciton localization.