Zinc diffusion in GaAs and zinc-induced disordering of GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells: a multitechnique study

A review of experimental results obtained by different techniques is presented on the problem of zinc diffusion. Zinc diffusion was carried out on Si-doped GaAs (n10¹⁸ cm^–3) and on multiple quantum well (MQW) structures. The samples were investigated by secondary-ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), different imaging modes of scanning electron microscopy such as secondary electrons, cathodoluminescence (CL) and electron beam-induced current (EBIC), transmission electron microscopy on a wedge-shaped specimen (WTEM) and by photoluminescence (PL). A nonexponential decay of the low-temperature EBIC signal accompanied by a very low CL signal due to the high density of nonradiative recombination centres were observed in the diffused region of the n-doped GaAs. Indeed, PL measurements demonstrate that Ga vacancies play a key role on the mechanism of the Zn diffusion. On the impurity-induced disordered (IID) MQW samples, an enrichment of Al at the surface was observed by SIMS and confirmed by WTEM and PL. Low-temperature PL spectra show the gradual disappearance of the MQW excitonic transitions as the number of disordered layers increases. When all of the MQW structure is destroyed, the band-to-band recombinations in the IID produced alloy dominate the PL spectrum.     

Managing disorder in random GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

The artificial random Gaussian-type potential built in the GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices grown by molecular beam epitaxy was explored by various methods. The effect of the intentional disorder was shown to dominate intrinsic superlattice imperfections and its impact on the electronic properties was found to be in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. It was demonstrated that the modern state of the molecular beam epitaxy allows for a growth of the superstructured materials with well-defined disorder strength.     

Aluminium implantation-induced disordering of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well structures

The process of Al implantation-induced disordering of AlGaAs/GaAs quantum well structures has been studied for optical waveguide applications. A study of the implanted samples using photoluminescence demonstrates that disordering is primarily a damage-based process and that this process may be suitable for the fabrication of surface gratings.     

Tunnel injection into GaAs/AlGaAs long period superlattices

Electron injection through a tunnel barrier into a long period GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice is investigated. Seven negative differential resistance (NDR) regions are observed, resulting from resonant tunneling into the first well of the superlattice. Their positions can be quantitatively accounted for by considering the distribution of the electric field in the depletion region and the tunnel barrier. Upon application of a magnetic field parallel to the layers, the NDR's are shifted and weakened, which can be explained in terms of conservation of energy and canonical momentum. Furthermore, optical phonon generated conductance oscillations are observed although the depletion region is punctuated by the superlattice structure.     

Domain boundary instability in weakly coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

Self-sustained oscillations of the current with a frequency ranging from 0.7 to 3.6 MHz have been detected in weakly coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattice at 4.2 K. A study of the static and dynamic characteristics of the structure showed that the spontaneous oscillations arise in the local region of the superlattice, restricted by a size of the domain boundary expansion. The oscillations arise in the negative differential conductivity regions due to the periodic coupling and decoupling of subbands in adjacent quantum wells, forming the expanded domain boundary. We suggest that the spatio-temporal oscillations of the domain boundary should be considered as oscillations of an ensemble of several strongly phase-coupled oscillators. Each oscillator is a couple of two adjacent quantum wells, which operates as a single resonant tunneling diode.     

Mean free path of ballistic electrons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

The mean free path of ballistic electrons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices was measured using the technique of hot electron spectroscopy in magnetic fields perpendicular to the growth direction. We utilize the fact that the total effective path of an injected hot electron is a function of the applied magnetic field. For a superlattice with 6.5 nm GaAs wells and 2.5 nm GaAlAs barriers we measure a mean free path of 80 nm. The experimental results of a ten-period SL sample are compared to a fully three-dimensional calculation of the transmission including interface roughness with island sizes of 10 nm. We demonstrate that the observed mfp is limited due to interface roughness scattering for temperatures up to 50 K.     

Exciton-exciton collisions and conversion of interwell excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

The ratio of the densities of intra-and interwell excitons in a symmetric system of coupled quantum wells — a superlattice based on a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure — is investigated over a wide range of optical excitation power densities. Conversion of interwell excitons into intrawell excitons as a result of exciton-exciton collisions is observed at high exciton densities. Direct evidence for such a conversion mechanism is the square-root dependence of the interwell exciton density on the optical excitation level. The decrease in the lifetime of interwell excitons with increasing excitation density, as measured directly by time-resolved spectroscopy methods, confirms the explanation proposed for the effect. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 65, No. 8, 623–628 (25 April 1997)     

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/AlGaAs superlattices having different electron and hole miniband widths in high magnetic fields perpendicular to the heterolayers. The ground state of the indirect excitons formed by electrons and holes which are spatially distributed among neighboring quantum wells is found to lie between the ground 1s state of the direct excitons and the threshold of the continuum of dissociated exciton states in the minibands. The indirect excitons have a substantial oscillator strength when the binding energy of the exciton exceeds the scale of the width of the resulting miniband. It is shown that a high magnetic field shifts a system of symmetrically bound quantum wells toward weaker bonding. At high exciton concentrations, spatially indirect excitons are converted into direct excitons through exciton-exciton collisions. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 833–836 (May 1998)     

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)     

Mutual synchronization of two coupled self-oscillators based on GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

The interaction of self-oscillators based on 30-period weakly coupled GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices is studied. The action of one self-oscillator on the other was observed for a constant bias voltage in the absence of generation of self-sustained oscillations in one of the oscillators. It is shown that induced oscillations in a forced oscillator appear due to excitation of oscillations in the system of coupled oscillators forming the electric-field domain wall at the frequency of one of the higher harmonics of a forcing oscillation.     

Bloch oscillations in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices after excitation well above the bandgap

Bloch oscillations of wave packets in semiconductor superlattices are observed by THz-emission spectroscopy after pulsed photo-excitation well above the fundamental band-gap. We show that Bloch oscillations are induced by excitation of states in both the first and the second electron miniband.     

Resonant tunneling transport through GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices in strong tilted magnetic field

An analysis is presented of the transverse resonant tunneling transport through GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices due to tunneling between Landau levels in quantum wells in a strong tilted magnetic field. A high tunneling rate is demonstrated between Landau levels with Δn ≠ 0 in a magnetic field with a nonzero in-plane component. This leads to substantial broadening and shift of the tunneling resonance and significant changes in the current-voltage characteristics of superlattices. The predicted behavior of the current-voltage characteristics of superlattices in tilted magnetic fields is demonstrated experimentally.     

Electro-optical phenomena accompanying electron and hole heating in superlattices and quantum wells GaAs/AlGaAs and Ge/GeSi

New electro-optical phenomena in quantum-well structures, i.e. modulation of the light absorption and birefringence due to carrier heating in a strong electric field, have been investigated. The effects have revealed different features in the three types of structures under investigation, namely: (1) well-dopedn-type GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum wells, (2) barrier-dopedn-type GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices and (3) barrier-dopedp-type Ge/GeSi multiple quantum wells. Possible mechanisms of the phenomena have been discussed.     

Si doped GaAs/AlGaAs terahertz detector and phonon effect on the responsivity

Terahertz detection capability of an n-type heterojunction interfacial work function internal photoemission (HEIWIP) detector is demonstrated. Threshold frequency, f₀, of 3.2 THz (93 μm) was obtained by using n-type GaAs emitter doped to 1 × 10¹⁸ cm⁻³ and Al_0.04Ga_0.96As single barrier structure. The detector shows a broad spectral response from 30 to 3.2 THz (10–93 μm) with peak responsivity of 6.5 A/W at 7.1 THz under a forward bias field of 0.7 kV/cm at 6 K. The peak quantum efficiency and peak detectivity are 19% and 5.5 × 10⁸ Jones, respectively under a bias field of 0.7 kV/cm at 6 K. In addition, the detector can be operated up to 25 K.     

Effect of the coherence of free electron-hole pairs on excitonic absorption in GaAs/AlGaAs superlattices

The effect of photoexcited free carriers on the absorption spectra dynamics of GaAs/Al_xGa_1−x As superlattices is investigated experimentally by the pump-probe method. A sharp change in the shift of the excitonic resonance energy from the low-to the high-energy direction is found to occur at the moment that the electromagnetic radiation of the pump and probe beams overlap in the case of band-band excitation. This phenomenon is explained in a model of scattering of high-energy electron-hole pairs. The dephasing time of free high-energy particles is experimentally estimated to be several tens of femtoseconds. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 67, No. 1, 62–67 (10 January 1998)