Donor-acceptor recombination in type-II GaAs/AlAs superlattices

A study is reported of steady-and nonsteady-state photoluminescence of intentionally undoped and uniformly silicon-doped type-II (GaAs)₇(AlAs)₉ superlattices grown by MBE simultaneously on (311)A-and (100)-oriented GaAs substrates. It has been established that at elevated temperatures (160>T>30 K) the superlattice spectra are dominated by the line due to the donor-acceptor recombination between donors in the AlAs layers and acceptors located in the GaAs layers. The total carrier binding energy to the donor and acceptor in a pair has been determined. Fiz. Tverd. Tela (St. Petersburg) 40, 1734–1739 (September 1998)     

Phonon-plasmon interaction in tunneling GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The phonon-plasmon interaction in tunneling GaAs _n /AlAs _m superlattices (m=5and 6≥n≥0.6 monolayers) was studied by Raman scattering spectroscopy. The interaction of optical phonons localized in GaAs and AlAs layers with quasi-three-dimensional plasmons strengthens as the thickness of GaAs quantum wells decreases and the electronic states in the superlattices become delocalized due to tunneling. It is assumed that the plasmons also interact with the TO-like phonon modes localized in quantum islands or in thin ruffled layers.     

Cyclotron masses in InGaAs/GaAs superlattices and InGaAs/AlAs superlattices

Cyclotron resonance (CR) measurements have been carried out to evaluate the effective mass of electron in (InGaAs)_n/(GaAs)_nsuperlattices (SLs) and (InGaAs)_n/(AlAs)_nSLs. To clarify the dependence of cyclotron mass on the monolayer numbern , we measured CR signals using pulsed high-magnetic fields up to 150 T and a far-infrared laser. We found clear cyclotron resonances in the transmission of 10.6 μ m at 75 T at room temperature in (InGaAs)_n/(GaAs)_nSLs and little dependence on the monolayer number n in the SLs. However, for (InGaAs)_n/(AlAs)_nSLs, a large dependence of cyclotron mass on the monolayer number n was observed. We consider that these dependencies are related to the difference between the barrier height in the SLs and the influence of nonparabolicity on the conduction subbands in the SLs.     

Polarization of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The polarization characteristics of hot photoluminescence in GaAs/AlAs superlattices are investigated experimentally and theoretically. It is shown that the formation of an electronic miniband in the superlattice substantially changes the polarization characteristics of the photoluminescence. As a result of the quasi-three-dimensional character of the motion of hot electrons in the superlattice, the polarization depends on the ratio of the electron kinetic energies in the plane of the superlattice and along the axis of the superlattice. Pis’ma Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 63, No. 4, 285–289 (25 February 1996)     

Photoluminescence studies of GaAs/AlAs short period superlattices

Low-temperature pressure-dependent photoluminescence measurements on short-period GaAs/AlAs superlattice structures are presented. Measurements show that the lowest energy conduction-band states are in the AlAs layers and the highest energy valence-band states are located in the GaAs layers. This result is supported by the following three experimental observations: (1) the observed pressure coefficient for the conduction-band to valence-band transition energy is negative, (2) the magnetic mass of this transition is “heavy”, and (3) the band-to-band absorption coefficient appears to be small. These experimental observations are in agreement with predictions of tight-binding calculations.     

Ellipsometric and reflectance studies of GaAs/AlAs superlattices

Multiple-angle-of-incidence ellipsometry at 632.8 nm and optical reflectance spectra are used to study GaAs/AlAs superlattices on GaAs substrates. The diagnostic potential of the two methods are compared to each other. Precise values of the total film thicknesses are obtained from the ellipsometric data. Significant disagreement between the measured and nominal thicknesses based on RHEED controlled MBE growth conditions is observed. Nonuniformity of a superlattice film is identified with the spatial resolution of about 1 mm². The thickness variations are accompanied by pronounced variations of the optical constants.     

Delocalization of phonon-plasmon modes in GaAs/AlAs superlattices with tunnel-thin AlAs barriers

The technique of Raman spectroscopy has been used to investigate doped (n-type) and undoped GaAs/AlAs superlattices with AlAs barrier thicknesses from 17 to 1 monolayers. The peak corresponding to the scattering by a two-dimensional plasmon was found in the Raman spectrum of a doped superlattice with relatively thick barriers. The position of the experimental peak corresponded to the value calculated in the model of plasma oscillations in periodic planes of a two-dimensional electron gas. The electron tunneling effects played an increasingly prominent role as the AlAs barrier thickness decreased. The peaks corresponding to the scattering by coupled phonons with three-dimensional plasmons were found in the Raman spectra for a superlattice with an AlAs thickness of 2 monolayers; i.e., the delocalization of coupled modes was observed. In this case, the folding of acoustic phonons was observed in the superlattice under consideration, indicative of its good periodicity, while the localization of optical phonons in GaAs layers was observed in undoped superlattices with an AlAs thickness of 2 monolayers.     

Optical phonon damping in the ultrathin-layer GaAs/AlAs superlattices

We performed the precision measurements of the near-normal far-infrared reflection and transmission spectra of the MBE-grown (GaAs)_n/(AlAs)_n (n =  1, 2, 4) superlattices. The results obtained show a noticeable (almost twofold) increase in the AlAs-phonon damping when n is decreased from 4 to 1. We consider possible physical mechanisms of this increase and compare our results with those obtained by other authors. The main implication of the work is that the increase in the TO-phonon damping may be related to interface broadening whose role becomes more important when the superlattice period decreases.