Excition states in semiconductor quantum dots in the modified effective mass approximation

A new modified effective mass approximation is suggested to describe the excitonic energy spectrum of quantum dots of radii a comparable to the exciton Bohr radius a _ex ⁰ . It is shown that, for quantum dots simulated by infinitely deep potential wells, the effective mass approximation is appropriate for describing excitons in quantum dots of radii a ≈ a _ex ⁰ , if the reduced effective mass of the excitons, μ, is considered as a function of the radius of the quantum dot a, μ = μ(a).     

Relaxation of excitons in semimagnetic asymmetric double quantum wells

The steady-state circular-polarized photoluminescence in semimagnetic asymmetric double quantum wells based on Cd(Mn,Mg)Te is studied thoroughly in relation to the polarization of intrawell nonresonance photoexcitation in magnetic fields Bup to 9 T. In low fields B, in which the exciton in the magnetic well is higher in energy than the exciton in the nonmagnetic well, the complete interwell relaxation of excitons is observed. In fields higher than B _c = 3–6 T, at which the exciton level in the magnetic well crosses the field-independent exciton level in the nonmagnetic well, the magnetic-field-induced red shift of the exciton in the magnetic well is accompanied by the establishment of a nonequilibrium distribution of excitons. This suggests that spin relaxation plays an important part in the interwell separation of excitons in the spin-dependent potential of the heterostructure. The efficiency of spin relaxation is controlled by mixing of valence band states in the nonmagnetic well and by splitting of heavy and light holes Δ _hh-lh . Different modes of interwell tunneling are observed in different field regions separated by the field B _c ^* > B _c corresponding to the crossing of the localized excitons in the nonmagnetic well and free excitons in the magnetic well. Possible mechanisms of interwell tunnel relaxation are discussed.     

Effects of spatial reproduction as a result of the interference of electron waves in two-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures with parabolic quantum wells

Effects of spatial nonuniformity for the probability flux density j_x(x, z) or for the density of the quantum-mechanical current ej_x(x, z), where e is the elementary charge) are studied. These effects arise in two-dimensional semiconductor nanostructures that consist of thin rectangular and wide parabolic quantum wells that are consecutively arranged in the direction of the electron-wave propagation (the x axis) and are oriented along the dimensional-quantization axis z. A nonuniform distribution of j_x(x, z) arises as a result of interference of electron waves that propagate simultaneously in a wide quantum well over different quantum-dimensional subbands. Particular attention is paid to the effects of the spatial reproduction of electron waves in the nanostructures under consideration. It is shown that the transverse distribution j_x(0, z) existing at the entry to the wide quantum well is reproduced to a certain accuracy at a distance of X₁ from the entry. In addition, the initial distribution j_x(0, z) is reproduced periodically in the sections X_q = qX₁ (coefficients q are integers). The results of numerical calculations of magnitudes of these effects in the structures that are symmetric with respect to the z axis are reported; a modification of the effects under consideration in asymmetric nanostructures is considered.     

Study of optical characteristics of structures with strongly strained In<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1 − <Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>As quantum wells

Results of photoluminescence (PL) studies of heterostructures with strongly strained InxGa_{1 ? x} As quantum wells (QWs) are presented. It is shown that the dependence of the PL intensity on the QW thickness has a maximum whose position depends on the composition of the In _x Ga_{1 ? x} As solid solution. The PL wavelength at the maximum intensity is 1.13 µm at a QW thickness of 60 µm at a QW thickness of 50 Å for x = 0.39 and 0.42, respectively.     

Spin effects in magnetoresistance induced in an <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-In<Subscript>x</Subscript>Ga<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>As/GaAs double quantum well by a parallel magnetic field

Magnetoresistance in n-In_xGa_1?xAs/GaAs (x ≈ 0.18) heterostructures with double quantum wells (DQWs) was studied in the magnetic field parallel to the DQW layer. Specific features of the magnetoresistance, related to the passing of the tunnel gap edges across the Fermi level, are revealed and studied. Agreement between the calculated and experimental positions of the observed features is obtained when the spin splitting of the energy spectrum is taken into account. Earlier, similar features were observed in the magnetoresistance of n-GaAs/Al_xGa_1?xAs DQW heterostructures, but the spin effects did not manifest themselves.     

Optical properties of hybrid quantum-well–dots nanostructures grown by MOCVD

The deposition of In _x Ga_1–x As with an indium content of 0.3–0.5 and an average thickness of 3–27 single layers on a GaAs wafer by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at low temperatures results in the appearance of thickness and composition modulations in the layers being formed. Such structures can be considered to be intermediate nanostructures between ideal quantum wells and quantum dots. Depending on the average thickness and composition of the layers, the wavelength of the photoluminescence peak for the hybrid InGaAs quantum well–dots nanostructures varies from 950 to 1100 nm. The optimal average In _x Ga_1–x As thicknesses and compositions at which the emission wavelength is the longest with a high quantum efficiency retained are determined.     

1 550 nm long-wavelength vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers

A 1 550 nm long-wavelength vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) on InP substrate is designed and fabricated. The transfer matrix is used to compute reflectivity spectrum of the designed epitaxial layers. The epitaxial layers mainly consist of 40 pairs of n-AlxGayIn(1-x-y)As/InP, and 6 strain compensated AlxGayIn(1-x-y)As/InP quantum wells on n-InP substrate, respectively. The top distributed Bragg reflection (DBR) mirror system has been formed by fabricating 4.5 pairs of SiO2/Si. The designed cavity mode is around 1 536 nm. The dip of the fabricated cavity mode is around 1 530 nm. The threshold current is 30 mA and the maximum output power is around 270 μW under CW operation at room temperature.     

Electroreflectance spectra from multiple InGaN/GaN quantum wells in the nonuniform electric field of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">p–n</Emphasis> junction

A line at E = 2.77 eV (with a width of Γ = 88 meV) related to interband transitions in the region of multiple quantum wells in the active region is detected in the electroreflectance spectra of the GaN/InGaN/AlGaN heterostructure. As the modulation bias is reduced from 2.9 to 0.4 V, the above line is split into two lines with energies of E ₁ = 2.55 eV and E ₂ = 2.75 eV and widths of Γ₁ = 66 meV and Γ₂ = 74 meV, respectively. The smaller widths of separate lines indicate that these lines are caused by interband transitions in particular quantum wells within the active region. The difference between the interband transition energies E ₁ and E ₂ in identical quantum wells in the active region is related to the fact that the quantum wells are in an inhomogeneous electric field of the p–n junction. The magnitudes of the electric-field strengths in particular quantum wells in the active region of the heterostructure are estimated to be 1.6 and 2.2 MV/cm.     

Size Effects in Transport Properties of PbSe Thin Films

This paper presents an overview and analysis of our earlier obtained experimental results on the dependences of kinetic properties of single PbSe quantum wells and PbSe-based superlattices on the PbSe layer thickness d. The observed oscillatory character of these dependences is attributed to quantum size effects due to electron or hole confinement in quantum wells. Some general regularities and factors that determine the character of these quantum size effects are established. The influence of the oxidation processes and doping on the d-dependences of the transport properties is revealed. A periodic change in the conductivity type related to quantum size oscillations is detected. It is shown that the experimentally determined values of the oscillation period Δd are in good agreement with the results of theoretical calculations based on the model of a rectangular quantum well with infinitely high walls, taking into account the dependence of the Fermi energy ε _F on d and the availability of subbands below ε _F. It is established that the Δd value for the superlattices is practically equal to the Δd value observed for the single PbSe thin film.     

Temperature dependence of the optical energy gap for the CdS<Subscript>x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> quantum dots

A temperature dependence of the optical energy gap E _g (T) for the CdS_xSe_1?x quantum dots synthesized in a borosilicate glass matrix was investigated in the range of 4.2–500 K. It was demonstrated that this dependence reproduced the dependence E _g (T) for bulk crystals and is described by the Varshni formula for \(\bar r > a_B \) over the entire temperature range. Here, \(\bar r\) is the average dot radius, and a_B is the Bohr radius for the exciton in a bulk crystal. With the transition to quantum dots with \(\bar r > a_B \), a decrease in the thermal coefficient of the band gap and a deviation from the Varshni dependence were observed in the temperature range of 4.2–100 K. The specific features observed are explainable by a decrease in the resulting macroscopic potential of the electron-phonon interaction and by modification of the vibration spectrum for dots as their volume decreases.     

Photoelectric properties of surface-barrier structures based on Zn<Subscript>2−2<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Cu<Subscript>x</Subscript>In<Subscript>x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>2</Subscript> films obtained by selenization

p-Zn_2?2xCu_xIn_xSe₂ (ZCIS) polycrystalline films 1–2 ¼m thick have been obtained by selenization. Photosensitive surface-barrier In/p-ZCIS structures are fabricated based on the films. The spectra of relative quantum efficiency of the structures obtained by selenization of the initial ZnSe/(Cu-In) and (Zn-Cu-In) films are examined. The optical band gap of the Zn_2?2xCu_xIn_xSe₂ films is determined. Conclusions are reached on the prospects for the use of the obtained films as broadband photoconverters of natural optical radiation.     

Wave functions of hot excitons in semiconductors with degenerate bands

Hot excitons in direct-gap cubic semiconductors with a degenerate valence band are considered. Corrections to the model of independent excitonic branches in terms of the small parameter ?/Ka _B, where K is the exciton momentum and a _B is the Bohr radius, are determined. The corrections take into account the internal motion of particles in the exciton. It is shown that the internal motion mixes the states of light and heavy holes in the exciton wave function. As a result, the processes of forward scattering of excitons with transitions between different excitonic branches become allowed. The consideration is concerned with the region of kinetic energies no higher than the spin-orbit splitting in the valence band. The dispersion relation for holes is described in the spherical Kohn-Luttinger model (the 4 × 4 matrix).     

Emission sensitization and mechanisms of electron-excitation migration in structures based on III-nitrides doped with rare-earth elements (Eu,Er, Sm)

The effect of doping with Eu, Er, and Sm rare-earth ions on the shape of the luminescence spectrum for heterostructures with GaN/In _x Ga_{1 ? x} N (0.1 < x < 0.4) quantum wells and from p-GaN〈Mg〉/n-GaN and p-AlGaN/n-GaN junctions is investigated. The results of measurements of the electroluminescence of these structures correlate with the previous data on photoluminescence and Mössbauer spectroscopy. It is shown that it is the GaN “yellow” (5000–6000 Å) band that plays the important role in the excitation of intracenter states in the structures with several GaN/InGaN quantum wells doped with Eu and Sm. In this case, Eu is most likely the sensitizer for Sm. Additional introduction of 3d metal (Fe⁵⁷) in p-GaN〈Mg〉/n-GaN:Eu results in the realization of intracenter transitions in Eu³⁺: ⁵ D ₀ → ⁷ F ₁ (6006 Å), ⁵ D ₀ → ⁷ F ₂ (6195 Å), ⁵ D ₀ → ⁷ F ₃ (6627 Å), and ⁵ D ₁ → ⁷ F ₄ (6327 Å) due to the occurrence of new, efficient channels of excitation transfer to intracenter states and in the effect of Fe on the local environment of rare-earth ions including due to the f–d hybridization enhancement.     

Resonant Raman scattering and atomic force microscopy of InGaAs/GaAs multilayer nanostructures with quantum dots

The transition from two-dimensional (2D) pseudomorphic growth to the three-dimensional (3D) (nanoisland) growth in In_xGa_1?xAs/GaAs multilayer structures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy was investigated by atomic force microscopy, photoluminescence, and Raman scattering. The nominal In content x in In_xGa_1?xAs was varied from 0.20 to 0.50. The thicknesses of the deposited In_xGa_1?xAs and GaAs layers were 14 and 70 monolayers, respectively. It is shown that, at these thicknesses, the 2D-3D transition occurs at x ≥ 0.27. It is ascertained that the formation of quantum dots (nanoislands) does not follow the classical Stranski-Krastanov mechanism but is significantly modified by the processes of vertical segregation of In atoms and interdiffusion of Ga atoms. As a result, the In_xGa_1?xAs layer can be modeled by a 2D layer with a low In content (x < 0.20), which undergoes a transition into a thin layer containing nanoislands enriched with In (x > 0.60). For multilayer In_xGa_1?xAs structures, lateral alignment of quantum dots into chains oriented along the \([\overline 1 10]\) direction can be implemented and the homogeneity of the sizes of quantum dots can be improved.     

Crystalline SiN<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> Ultrathin Films Grown on AlGaN/GaN Using <Emphasis Type="Italic">In Situ</Emphasis> Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Surface passivation by SiN _x films is indispensable for high-power operation of AlGaN/GaN heterojunction field-effect transistors (HFETs) since it can effectively suppress collapse in the drain current. So far, the plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition technique has been used for the SiN _x deposition; however, possible damage induced by the plasma processing may affect direct-current performance or reliability. In this paper, we present subsequent deposition of SiN _x ultrathin films on AlGaN/GaN in the same metalorganic chemical vapor deposition reactor. It is experimentally found that this in situ SiN _x passivation doubles the sheet carrier density at the AlGaN/GaN interface from that of the unpassivated sample. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals that in situ SiN _x is crystallized on the AlGaN layer as island-like structures via the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode. The lattice constants of in situ SiN _x are estimated to be a ≈ 3.2 Å and c ≈ 2.4 Å, which are quite different from those of well-known Si₃N₄ crystal structures. First-principles calculation predicts that the crystal structure of in situ SiN _x is the defect wurtzite structure, which well explains the experimental results. The passivation technique using crystalline SiN _x films would be promising for high-power and high-frequency applications of AlGaN/GaN HFETs.     

A model of photoinduced annealing of intrinsic defects in hexagonal CdS<Subscript>x</Subscript>Se<Subscript>1−<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript> quantum dots

A possible mechanism of photoinduced annealing of intrinsic defects in quantum dots with a hexagonal crystal structure is justified on the basis of the studies of the kinetics of photoinduced decay of luminescence of CdS_xSe_1?x quantum dots synthesized in a glass matrix and ab initio calculations of chemical bond energies at the interface in the n(CdSe)-SiO_x-type cluster. The model proposed implies that photoinduced Se-O bond breaking at the anionic face results in an increase in electric field inside the quantum dot; this field stimulates cadmium vacancy diffusion to the surface. This model accounts for the degradation of luminescence and of the parameters of nonlinear optical devices observed during photoinduced annealing.     

Permittivity spectra and characteristic energy losses of electrons in ZnO at 100 K

For the first time, full sets of fundamental optical functions have been obtained for zinc oxide in the range 0–30 eV at 100 K for E ⊥ c and E ‖ c polarizations. Spectra of the transverse and longitudinal components of transitions and their basic parameters (peak energies E _i , half-widths H _i of transition bands, band areas S _i , and oscillator strengths f _i ) have also been determined for the first time. The calculations are performed using synchrotron experimental reflectance spectra. The main features of spectra of the optical functions and components of transitions are established. These features are compared to the results of known theoretical calculations of the bands and spectra of optical functions.     

Fine Structure of the long-wavelength edge of exciton-phonon absorption and hyperbolic excitons in silicon carbide of 6<Emphasis Type="Italic">H</Emphasis> polytype

The fine structure of the long-wavelength edge of the polarization spectra of exciton-phonon absorption in moderate-purity n-type 6H-SiC crystals with a concentration of uncompensated donors N_D?N_A=(1.7–2.0)×10¹⁶ cm^?3 at T=1.7 K was studied. The analysis of new special features found at the absorption edge and the reliable detection of the onset of exciton-phonon steps related to the emission of phonons from acoustical and optical branches allowed highly accurate determination of a number of important parameters such as the band gap, the exciton band gap, the exciton binding energy, and the energies of spin-orbit and crystal-field splitting of an exciton. For the first time, transitions with the emission of LA phonons to the 1S exciton state with an M₁-type dispersion law were detected in E ∥ Z(C) polarization (the electric-field vector is parallel to the optical axis of the crystal). This observation supports the previously predicted “two-well” structure of the conduction band minimum in 6H-SiC.     

Defects of the structure of semiconductor superlattices grown on the basis of II–VI alloys

The specific features of defects of crystal lattices in multilayer device structures containing small-period (T ? 20 nm) superlattices of type I ZnSe/Cd _x Zn_{1 ? x} Se/ZnSe/.../ZnSe/(001)GaAs and type II ZnS/ZnSe_{1 ? x} S _x /ZnS/.../ZnS/(001)GaAs are studied by the methods of X-ray diffractometry and diffraction rocking pseudocurves, and partially by the X-ray topography. According to the data of quantitative analysis of the X-ray diffraction spectra, the periods of superlattices are in the range T _I = 11.3–16.1 nm (for the compositions Cd _x Zn_{1 ? x} Se with x ₁ = 0.047 and x ₂ = 0.107) for type I superlattices and T _II = 15.6–17.2 nm for type II superlattices (for the compositions ZnSe_{1 ? x} S _x with x ₁ = 0.20 and x ₂ = 0.10). The widths of diffraction peaks from both the ZnSe layers and small-period superlattices in the diffraction rocking pseudocurves considerably exceed their widths in the X-ray diffraction spectra. This fact proves that a pronounced plastic strain with the formation of series of rectilinear dislocations in the crossing slip systems took place in the studied device structures. In order to exclude the generation of dislocations in the growth processes, it is necessary to decrease the concentration of the solid solution to the values x < 0.047 for the first type of superlattices and to the values x ? 0.062 for the second type of superlattices, and to decrease the thickness of the ZnSe and ZnS layers.     

Effect of thallium doping on the mobility of electrons in Bi<Subscript>2</Subscript>Se<Subscript>3</Subscript> and holes in Sb<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te<Subscript>3</Subscript>

The Shubnikov–de Haas effect and the Hall effect in n-Bi_2–xTl_xSe₃ (x = 0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04) and p-Sb_2–xTl_xTe₃ (x = 0, 0.005, 0.015, 0.05) single crystals are studied. The carrier mobilities and their changes upon Tl doping are calculated by the Fourier spectra of oscillations. It is found shown that Tl doping decreases the electron concentration in n-Bi_2–xTl_xSe₃ and increases the electron mobility. In p-Sb_2–xTl_xTe₃, both the hole concentration and mobility decrease upon Tl doping. The change in the crystal defect concentration, which leads to these effects, is discussed.