Far infrared measurements of bulk and surface phonons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

We have used far-infrared oblique-incidence reflection spectroscopy to study bulk phonon polaritons, and attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy to study surface phonon polaritons, in long-period GaAs/Al_xGa_1–xAs and short-period GaAs/AlAs superlattices. Results on the former are in good agreement with an effective-medium bulk-slab model of the dielectric tensor of the superlattice; results on the latter are analysed in terms of a model that contains dielectric-tensor contributions from the confined optic phonons.     

Anisotropy of long-wavelength optical phonons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The angular anisotropy of optical phonons in GaAs/AlAs (001) superlattices is investigated by Raman scattering spectroscopy. Scattering configurations allowed for phonons with wave vectors oriented along the superlattice layers and normally to them are used. For phonons localized in GaAs layers, the theoretically predicted mixing of the LO1 longitudinal modes with TO1 transverse modes in which atomic displacements occur along the normal to the superlattice is observed experimentally. These modes possess noticeable angular anisotropy. For transverse modes in which atoms move in the plane of the superlattice, the angular anisotropy is small.     

Confined longitudinal and transverse phonons in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The phonon spectrum of GaAs/AlAs superlattices along the (001) growth direction is calculated using a new approach based on a realistic unified treatment of the interactions in both bulk constituents, which naturally lends itself to dealing with superlattice geometries. Results for a (GaAs)₃(AlAs)₃ superlattice are shown with emphasis on different aspects of confinement.     

Raman scattering from confined LO phonons and dispersion relation in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The Raman scattering from both GaAs and AlAs confined LO phonons for several GaAs/AlAs superlattices is presented. The GaAs confined LO phonons were observed for two narrow GaAs layer samples at room temperature. The frequencies of observed phonons fit fairly well with the theoretical dispersion curves.     

Capture of carriers excited by interband and intersubband absorption in GaAs/AlAs/AlGaAs double-barrier quantum wells

We report on the carrier dynamics in n-type double-barrier quantum well structures in an electric field. Both the intersubband and interband photocurrents, excited by long-wavelength (4μm) and short-wavelength (0.5μm) radiation, respectively, show a photovoltaic asymmetry with respect to the applied field. This asymmetry arises from an internal field due to an asymmetric dopant distribution with respect to the well centers. Time-dependent photoluminescence measurements allow us to determine the field dependence of the electron and hole capture times.     

Optical phonons in nanosize GaAs and AlAs clusters in an InAs matrix

A Raman scattering method is used to investigate structures containing nanosize GaAs and AlAs clusters, which were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on InAs substrates by the mechanism of self-organized growth under mechanical stress. A large shift of the phonon lines of GaAs and AlAs clusters with respect to the phonon frequencies in the bulk materials (36 and 24 cm⁻¹ for GaAs LO and TO phonons and 55 and 28 cm⁻¹ for AlAs LO and TO phonons, respectively) is observed in the spectra. This fact is explained by the presence of strong mechanical stresses in the GaAs and AlAs clusters. A comparison of the experimental data with the computed strain dependences of the phonon frequencies shows that the GaAs and AlAs clusters are pseudomorphic, i.e., they do not contain dislocations, which lead to relaxation of the mechanical stresses. In the interval between the InAs TO and LO phonon frequencies, the Raman scattering spectra contain features associated with interfacial phonons. The position of these features also attests to the formation of three-dimensional GaAs and AlAs islands and are described well by a continuum dielectric model. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 70, No. 7, 463–467 (10 October 1999)     

Resonant electron tunneling in (111) GaAs/AlAs structures

Pseudopotential and scattering matrix methods are used to study the spectral details of the transmission of electrons as a function of the angle of incidence on a heterojunction in various structures based on (111) GaAs/AlAs. A simplified two-valley (Γ-L) model for describing the electronic states in such structures has been proposed and its parameters have been determined. The existence of quasilocalized “interfacial” states has been established. A formula has been found which well approximates the behavior of the scattering matrix elements near these resonances, and their decay times are estimated. Academician V. D. Kuznetsov Siberian Physicotechnical Institute at Tomsk State University. Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika No. 9, pp. 89–99, September, 1998.