Exciton-phonon coupling in indirect AlxGa1?xAs

Several persistent high-energy peaks in the photo-luminescence spectrum of indirect Al_xGa_1?xAs are reported. These transitions are assigned to zero-phonon and phonon-assisted bound-exciton annihilation processes. Symmetry determined selection rules indicate that the major interband recombination mechanism is due to LO phonon scattering of electrons near X(100) to the energetically adjacent Γ^CB₁ (000) intermediate state. Scattering associated with alloy disorder may also contribute to the spectrum. The change in the phonon-assisted spectra at x = 0.43 ± 0.01 provides an additional means of identification of the direct-indirect conduction band crossover.