Wetting layers effect on InAs/GaAs quantum dots

FEM combining with the K·P theory is adopted to systematically investigate the effect of wetting layers on the strain-stress profiles and electronic structures of self-organized InAs quantum dot. Four different kinds of quantum dots are introduced at the same height and aspect ratio. We found that 0.5 nm wetting layer is an appropriate thickness for InAs/GaAs quantum dots. Strain shift down about 3%∼4.5% for the cases with WL (0.5 nm) and without WL in four shapes of quantum dots. For band edge energy, wetting layers expand the potential energy gap width. When WL thickness is more than 0.8 nm, the band edge energy profiles cannot vary regularly. The electron energy is affected while for heavy hole this impact on the energy is limited. Wetting layers for the influence of the electronic structure is obviously than the heavy hole. Consequently, the electron probability density function spread from buffer to wetting layer while the center of hole's function moves from QDs internal to wetting layer when introduce WLs. When WLs thickness is larger than 0.8 nm, the electronic structures of quantum dots have changed obviously. This will affect the instrument's performance which relies on the quantum dots' optical properties.     

Bound to continuum intersubband transition optical properties in the strain reducing layer-assisted InAs quantum dot structure

In this paper, the impact of wetting layer, strain reducing layer and dot height on the electronic, linear and nonlinear optical properties of bound to continuum states transitions are investigated in a system of InAs truncated conical shaped quantum dot covered with the In_xGa_1−x As strain reducing layer. The electronic structure, containing two main states of S and wetting layer states (WL), was calculated by solving one electronic band Hamiltonian with effective-mass approximation. The results reveal that the presence of the strain reducing layer in the structure extends the quantum dot emission to longer wavelength which is reported as a red-shift of the photoluminescence (PL) peak in the experimental measurement. This study also highlights the possibility of improving the intersubband optical properties based on the significant size-dependence of the three layer dot matrix by employing the strain reducing and wetting layers. According to this simulation, relatively tall dots on the thick wetting layer introduce the optimized structure size for practical applications to meet the SRL assisted enhanced dot structure.     

Effect of an electric field on the carrier collection efficiency of InAs quantum dots

Individual and multiquantum dots of InAs are studied by means of microphotoluminescence in the case where, in addition to the principal laser exciting photoluminescence, second infrared laser is used. It is demonstrated that the absorption of the infrared photons effectively creates free holes in the sample, which leads to both a change in the charge state of a quantum dot and to a considerable reduction of their photoluminescence signal. The latter effect is explained in terms of effective screening of the internal electric field, facilitating carrier transport along the plane of a wetting layer, by the surplus holes from the infrared laser. It is shown that the effect of quenching of quantum dot photoluminescence gradually disappears at increased sample temperature (T) and/or dot density. This fact is due to the essentially increased value of quantum dot collection efficiency, which could be achieved at elevated sample temperatures for individual quantum dots or even at low T for the case of multiquantum dots. It is suggested that the observed phenomena can be widely used in practice to effectively manipulate the collection efficiency and the charge state of quantum-dot-based optical devices.     

Growth of InGaAs-capped InAs quantum dots characterized by Atomic Force Microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is typically used to measure the quantum dot shape and density formed by lattice mismatched epitaxial growth such as InAs on GaAs. However, AFM images are distorted when two dots are situated in juxtaposition with a distance less than the AFM tip width. Scanning electron Microscope (SEM) is much better in distinguishing the dot density but not the dot height. Through these measurements of the growth of In_xGa_1-xAs cap layer on InAs quantum dots, it was observed that the InGaAs layer neither covered the InAs quantum dots and wetting layer uniformly nor 100% phase separates into InAs and GaAs grown on InAs quantum dots and wetting layer, respectively.     

Wetting layer and size effects on the nonlinear optical properties of semi oblate and prolate Si0.7Ge0.3/Si quantum dots

Semi oblate and semi prolate are among the most probable self-organized nanostructures shapes. The optoelectronic properties of such nanostructures are not just manipulated with the height and lateral size but also with the wetting layer element. The practical interest of derivatives of germanium and silicon has a great important role in optoelectronic devices. This study is a contribution to the analysis of linear and nonlinear optical properties of Si_0.7Ge_0.3/Si. In the framework of the effective mass approximation, we solve numerically the Schrödinger equation relative to one particle confined in Si_0.7Ge_0.3/Si semi prolate and semi oblate quantum dots by using the finite element method and by taking into consideration the effect of the wetting layer. The energy spectrum of the lowest states and the dipolar matrix for the fourth allowed transitions are determined and discussed. We also calculate the detailed optical properties, including absorption coefficients, refractive index changes, second and third harmonic generation as a function of the quantum dot sizes. We found that with the change in the size of prolate and oblate quantum dots, there is a shift in the resonance peaks for the absorption coefficient and refractive index. It is due to the modification in the energy levels with changing size. The study proves a redshift in the second harmonic generation and third harmonic generation coefficients with an increase in the height/radius of the oblate/prolate quantum dot, respectively. We also demonstrated the variation of wavefunction inside the quantum dot with the change in wetting layer thickness.     

Investigation of populated InAs/GaAs quantum dots by photoluminescence and photoreflectance

We studied self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots by contrasting photoluminescence and photoreflectance spectra from 10 K to room temperature. The photoluminescence spectral profiles comprise contributions from four equally separated energy levels of InAs quantum dots. The emission profiles involving ground state and excited states have different temperature evolution. Abnormal spectral narrowing occurred above 200 K. In the photoreflectance spectra, major features corresponding to the InAs wetting layer and GaAs layers were observed. Temperature dependences of spectral intensities of these spectral features indicate that they originate from different photon-induced modulation mechanisms. Considering interband transitions of quantum dots were observed in photoluminescence spectra and those of wetting layer were observed in photoreflectance profiles, we propose that quantum dot states of the system are occupied up to the fourth energy level which is below the wetting layer quantum state.     

Coexistence of type-I and type-II band alignment in Ga(Sb,P)/GaP heterostructures with pseudomorphic self-assembled quantum dots

Band alignment of heterostructures with pseudomorphic GaSb_{1 ? x} P _x /GaP self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) lying on a wetting layer was studied. Coexistence of type-I and type-II band alignment was found within the same heterostructure. Wetting layer has band alignment of type-I with the lowest electronic state belonging to the X _XY valley of GaSb_{1 ? x} P _x conduction band, in contrast to SAQDs, which have band alignment of type-II, independently of the ternary alloy composition x. It is shown that type-I-type-II transition is a result of GaP matrix deformation around the SAQD.     

Electronic structure of asymmetric vertically coupled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

In this paper, the electronic structure of an asymmetric self-assembled vertically coupled quantum dots heterostructure has been investigated. The structure consists of two ellipsoidal quantum dot (QDs) caps made with InAs embedded in a wetting layer InAs and surrounded by GaAs. Using the strain dependent k·p theory, the energy of the two lowest states of a single electron/hole which is confined within the coupled QD structure has been calculated. As a result, it can be estimated the energy gap for different geometry parameters and for tuning the external magnetic field. The numerical results show that the energy gap is very sensitive to the size asymmetry of the structure and to the small separation distance of the dots but less sensitive to the existence of an external magnetic field and large interdot distance.     

Hole states in artificial molecules formed by vertically coupled Ge/Si quantum dots

In the tight binding approximation, the spatial configuration of the ground state and the binding energy of a hole in a “diatomic” artificial molecule formed by vertically coupled Ge/Si(001) quantum dots are studied. The inhomogeneous spatial distribution of elastic strain arising in the medium due to the lattice mismatch between Ge and Si is taken into account. The strain is calculated using the valence-force-field model with a Keating interatomic potential. The formation of the hole states is shown to be determined by the competition of two processes: the appearance of a common hole due to the overlapping of “atomic” wavefunctions and the appearance of asymmetry in the potential energy of a hole in the two quantum dots because of the superposition of the elastic strain fields from the vertically aligned Ge nanoclusters. When the thickness of the Si layer separating the Ge dots (t _Si) is greater than 2.3 nm, the binding energy of a hole in the ground state of the two-dot system proves to be lower than the ionization energy of a single quantum dot because of the partial elastic stress relaxation due to the coupling of the quantum dots and due to the decrease in the depth of the potential well for holes. For the values of the parameter t _Si, an intermediate region is revealed, where the covalent molecular bond fails and the hole is localized in one of the two quantum dots, namely, in the dot characterized by the highest strain values.     

The influence of strain-reducing layer on strain distribution and ground state energy levels of GaN/AlN quantum dot

This article deals with the strain distributions around GaN/AlN quantum dots by using the finite element method. Special attention is paid to the influence of Al_0.2Ga_0.8N strain-reducing layer on strain distribution and electronic structure. The numerical results show that the horizontal and the vertical strain components are reinforced in the GaN quantum dot due to the presence of the strain-reducing layer, but the hydrostatic strain in the quantum dot is not influenced. According to the deformation potential theory, we study the band edge modifications and the piezoelectric effects. The result demonstrates that with the increase of the strain reducing layer, the transition energy between the ground state electron and the heavy hole increases. This result is consistent with the emission wavelength blue shift phenomenon observed in the experiment and confirms that the wavelength shifts toward the short wavelength range is realizable by adjusting the structure-dependent parameters of GaN/AlN quantum dot.     

Ab initio-based approach to the reconstruction on InAs(111)A wetting layer grown on GaAs substrate

The surface reconstructions on InAs(111)A wetting layer grown on GaAs substrate are investigated by our ab initio-based approach incorporating the chemical potentials of In atom and As molecules in the vapor phase as functions of temperature and beam equivalent pressure. The calculated results imply that the most stable surface structure of InAs with/without lattice constraint from the substrate is the In-vacancy surface under conventional growth conditions. The In-vacancy surface is dramatically stabilized on the wetting layer, since the atoms around the In-vacancy are easily displaced to effectively lower the strain energy due to the lattice constraint from the GaAs substrate. Distinctive feature between InAs(111)A surfaces with and without lattice constraint is found in the stable adsorption sites. In adatoms favor the In-vacancy site on the InAs without lattice constraint in contrast to the interstitial sites on the InAs wetting layer. These results suggest that the surface structure and adsorption-desorption behavior on the wetting layer are crucial for investigating the growth processes of nanostructures such as quantum dots and stacking fault tetrahedrons.     

The effect of the long-range order in a quantum dot array on the in-plane lattice thermal conductivity

Semiconductor quantum dot superlattices consisting of arrays of quantum dots have shown great promise for a variety of device applications, including thermoelectric power generation and cooling. In this paper we theoretically investigate the effect of long-range order in a quantum dot array on its in-plane lattice thermal conductivity. It is demonstrated that the long-range order in a quantum dot array enhances acoustic phonon scattering and, thus leads to a decrease of its lattice thermal conductivity. The decrease in the ordered quantum dot array, which acts as a phonon grating, is stronger than that in the disordered one due to the contribution of the coherent scattering term. The numerical calculations were carried out for a structure that consists of multiple layers of Si with layers of ordered Ge quantum dots separated by wetting layers and spacers.     

Quantum Transition of Two-Level System in a Parabolic Quantum Dot

The time evolution of the quantum mechanical state of an electron is calculated by using variational method of Pekar type on the condition of electric-LO phonon strong coupling in a parabolic quantum dot. We obtained the eigen energies of the ground state and the first-excited state, the eigen functions of the ground state and the first-excited state this system in a quantum dot may be employed as a two-level quantum system-qubit. The supposition electron is in system’s ground state in the initial time, the electron transit from the ground state to the excited state in presence of an electric field F along the x axis. The results indicate that the electron transition probability and the oscillation period increase with decreasing the electron-LO-phonon coupling constant, increasing the electric field and the confinement length.     

Reduced linewidth enhancement factor due to excited state transition of quantum dot lasers

The carrier induced refractive index change and linewidth enhancement factor α due to ground-state (GS) and excited-state (ES) transitions have been compared by measuring the optical gain spectra from an InAs/GaAs quantum dot (QD) laser structure. It is shown that the ES transition exhibits a reduced α-factor compared to the value due to the GS transition. This result can be explained by the α-factor due to the ES transition having a smaller increase from the non-resonant carriers in the combined state of the wetting layer and InGaAs strain reducing layer than the α-factor increase due to the GS transition, since the relaxation time for carriers from the combined state of the wetting layer and InGaAs strain reducing layer to the ES is shorter than to the GS. The result reported here shows another advantage of using ES QD lasers for optical communication, in addition to their higher modulation speed.     

Optical properties of a hydrogenic impurity in a confined Zn1−xCdxSe/ZnSe spherical quantum dot

The effect of longitudinal optical phonon field on the ground state and low lying-excited state energies of a hydrogenic impurity in a Zn_1−xCd_xSe/ZnSe strained quantum dot is investigated for various Cd content using the Aldrich-Bajaj effective potential. We consider the strain effect considering the internal electric field induced by the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarizations. Calculations have been performed using Bessel function as an orthonormal basis for different confinement potentials of barrier height. Polaron induced photoionization cross section of the hydrogenic impurity in the quantum dot is investigated. We study the oscillator strengths, the linear and third-order nonlinear optical absorption coefficients as a function of incident photon energy for 1s-1p and 1p-1d transitions with and without the polaronic effect. It is observed that the potential taking into account the effects of phonon makes the binding energies more than the obtained results using a Coulomb potential screened by a static dielectric constant and the optical properties of hydrogenic impurity in a quantum dot are strongly affected by the confining potential and the radii. It is also observed that the magnitude of the absorption coefficients increases for the transitions between higher levels with the inclusion of phonon effect.     

Third-order non-linear susceptibility in a three-level QD system

Third-order non-linear susceptibility is derived for a three-level quantum dot system. Then the total absorption (linear and non-linear) for InGaAsP three-level quantum dot systems is calculated at various parameters (wetting layer composition, pump power, quantum size effect and dephasing linewidth). The spectral hole appears at low power with increasing Ga mole-fraction in the wetting layer.     

Quasi-wetting on a sphere

Wetting phenomena on a sphere of radius R are studied in the context of the Sullivan model. Neither a first nor a continuous transition is found for finite R. Only in the strict limit of R→∞ a second-order transition appears. For temperatures T higher than the wetting temperature in a flat geometry, T^∞_w, the thickness l of the enhanced density layer, which forms on the surface of the sphere, is for large R proportional to In R.     

Effect of inter-level relaxation and cavity length on double-state lasing performance of quantum dot lasers

Double-state lasing phenomena are easily observed in self-assembled quantum dot (QD) lasers. The effect of inter-level relaxation rate and cavity length on the double-state lasing performance of QD lasers is investigated on the basis of a rate equation model. Calculated results show that, for a certain cavity length, the ground state (GS) lasing threshold current increases almost linearly with the inter-level relaxation lifetime. However, as the relaxation rate becomes slower, the ratio of excited state (ES) lasing threshold current over the GS one decreases, showing an evident exponential behavior. A relatively feasible method to estimate the inter-level relaxation lifetime, which is difficult to measure directly, is provided. In addition, fast inter-level relaxation is favorable for the GS single-mode lasing, and leads to lower wetting layer (WL) carrier occupation probability and higher QD GS capture efficiency and external differential quantum efficiency. Besides, the double-state lasing effect strongly depends on the cavity length.     

Effect of inter-level relaxation and cavity length on double-state lasing performance of quantum dot lasers

Double-state lasing phenomena are easily observed in self-assembled quantum dot (QD) lasers. The effect of inter-level relaxation rate and cavity length on the double-state lasing performance of QD lasers is investigated on the basis of a rate equation model. Calculated results show that, for a certain cavity length, the ground state (GS) lasing threshold current increases almost linearly with the inter-level relaxation lifetime. However, as the relaxation rate becomes slower, the ratio of excited state (ES) lasing threshold current over the GS one decreases, showing an evident exponential behavior. A relatively feasible method to estimate the inter-level relaxation lifetime, which is difficult to measure directly, is provided. In addition, fast inter-level relaxation is favorable for the GS single-mode lasing, and leads to lower wetting layer (WL) carrier occupation probability and higher QD GS capture efficiency and external differential quantum efficiency. Besides, the double-state lasing effect strongly depends on the cavity length.     

Strain and optical transitions in InAs quantum dots on (001) GaAs

To investigate the strain characteristics of InAs quantum dots grown on (001) GaAs by solid source molecular beam epitaxy we have compared calculated transition energies with those obtained from photoluminescence measurements. Atomic force microscopy shows the typical lateral size of the quantum dots as 20–22 nm with a height of 10–12 nm, and photoluminescence spectra show strong emission at 1.26 μ m when the sample is capped with a GaAs layer. The luminescence peak wavelength is red-shifted to 1.33 μ m when the dots are capped by an In_0.4Ga_0.6As layer. Excluding the strain it is shown that the theoretical expectation of the ground-state optical transition energy is only 0.566 eV (2.19 μ m), whereas a model with three-dimensionally-distributed strain results in a transition energy of 0.989 eV (1.25 μ m). It has thus been concluded that the InAs quantum dot is spatially strained. The InGaAs capping layer reduces the effective barrier height so that the transition energy becomes red-shifted.