Resonance enhancement of spin-polarized electron emission

Resonance enhancement of the quantum yield of polarized electrons from photocathodes based on strained short-period semiconductor superlattices is studied. The superlattice is a constituent of a Fabry-Perot optical cavity formed by the outer surface of the photocathode and the distributed Bragg reflector. An increase in the quantum yield by an order of magnitude is observed in the wavelength region corresponding to the maximum degree of polarization of photoemission.     

First-principle study of ferroelectricity in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 superlattices

We performed the first-principles calculation to investigate the electronic structure and polarization behaviors in PbTiO₃/SrTiO₃ (PST) superlattices. The DOS (density of state) profiles show that there are strong hybridizations of atom Ti–O and Pb–O which play very important roles on ferroelectricity of the PbTiO₃/SrTiO₃ superlattices. Comparing to the corresponding paraelectric phase, we find the electrons of the PT (PbTiO₃) layers occupy lower energy states and electrons of the ST (SrTiO₃) layer occupy higher energy states. It is shown that the polarizations of the superlattices decrease with proportion of SrTiO₃ increasing. The constant polarization of local layer indicates that PST superlattices with small modulation lengthen can be approximately considered as a single ferroelectric material. Furthermore, according to electrostatic model, we find that directions of internal electric fields in PT and ST layers are opposite. In PST superlattices, internal electric field in PT layer leads to the loss of polarization of this layer, but the polarization of ST layer is induced by internal electric field of this layer. Compared to the value of the polarization in bulk PbTiO₃, polarization of PST is smaller.     

Dimensionality effects in the hot-electron photoluminescence of gallium arsenide: 2D-quasi-3D transition

The influence of the miniband width in superlattices on the polarization characteristics of hot-electron photoluminescence (HEPL) is investigated. It is shown that the energy dependence and the magnetic field dependence of polarization change significantly as the width of the electron minibands increases. The limits of applicability are established for the tight-binding approximation in the calculation of optical transitions in superlattices. Fiz. Tekh. Poluprovodn. 33, 738–741 (June 1999)     

Epitaxial growth, electronic properties, and photocathode applications of strained pseudomorphic InGaAsP/GaAs layers

The results of experimental and theoretical investigations directed toward the development of highly efficient sources of spin-polarized electrons are reported. The sources are based on heteroepitaxial elastically strained films of the quaternary InGaAsP solid solution grown by liquid-phase epitaxy on GaAs substrates. The InGaAsP films synthesized were 0.1–0.2 μm thick with the band gap being within the range of 1.4–1.9 eV and having elastic strains as high as 1%. This provided splitting of the valence band top by 40–60 meV and a degree of the spin polarization P of the electrons photoemitted as high as 80%. The films have a high quantum yield of photoemission Y upon activating to the negative electron affinity state due to the adsorption of Cs and O. Record values for the effective figure of merit P ² Y are achieved. __________ Translated from Fizika i Tekhnika Poluprovodnikov, Vol. 35, No. 9, 2001, pp. 1102–1110. Original Russian Text Copyright ? 2001 by Alperovich, Bolkhovityanov, Chikichev, Paulish, Terekhov, Yaroshevich.     

Tight-binding study of the optical properties of GaN/AlN polar and nonpolar quantum wells

The electronic structure of wurtzite semiconductor superlattices (SLs) and quantum wells (QWs) is calculated by using the empirical tight-binding method. The basis used consists of four orbitals per atom (sp³ model), and the calculations include the spin-orbit coupling as well as the strain and electric polarization effects. We focus our study on GaN/AlN QWs wells grown both in polar (C) and nonpolar (A) directions. The band structure, wave functions and optical absorption spectrum are obtained and compared for both cases.     

Strain induced lateral ordering in Ga0.22In0.78As/Ga0.22In0.78P short period superlattices on (001) InP

The application of the strain induced lateral ordering process to the strain-compensated (Ga_0.22In_0.78As)_m (Ga_0.22In_0.78P)_m short period superlattices is investigated. The superlattices have been grown at low temperatures by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) on (001) InP. These superlattices have been used in multiquantum well heterostructures using InP as barriers. The anisotropic polarization of photoluminescence shows the existence of lateral modulation. Dark-field images using the 220 reflection gives modulated contrast in the superlattice layers. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows local variations of the interplanar spacing of the (200) planes as well as the angles they form with the (002) planes.     

Transverse optical phonon splitting in GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on the GaAs(311) surface studied by the method of Raman light scattering

GaAs_n/AlAs_m superlattices grown on the GaAs (311)A and (311)B surfaces by molecular-beam epitaxy were studied by Raman light scattering. The form of the Raman scattering tensor allowed the TO _y and TO _x modes to be separately observed using various scattering geometries (the y and x axes correspond to atomic displacements along and across facets formed on the (311)A surface, respectively). The TO1_y and TO1_x modes exhibited splitting in superlattices grown on a faceted GaAs(311)A surface. The degree of splitting increased for superlattices with an average GaAs layer thickness of 6 monoatomic layers and less. No splitting was observed for superlattices grown under the same conditions on the (311)B surface, which indicates that the splitting effect is probably due to the formation of GaAs quantum wires on the faceted (311)A surface.     

A novel waveguided polarization mode splitter using refractiveindex changes induced by superlattice disordering

The operating principle of our polarization mode splitter is based on the polarization-dependent refractive index changes induced by disordering InGaAs/InP superlattices. We disordered superlattices by the Si₃N₄ cap-annealing method and measured the near-field patterns to confirm that the device functioned properly at a wavelength of 1.52 μm. The crosstalk was about -10 dB. We should be able to improve the characteristics of this device by optimizing its structure. This device requires no electrical control and will be very suitable for semiconductor monolithic integrated circuits     

Photoluminescence study of type-II GaAs quantum well wires grown on nano-faced (3 1 1)A surface: Quasi-1D exciton observation?

GaAs/AlAs corrugated superlattices (CSLs) grown on nano-faceted (3 1 1)A GaAs surface were studied using Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) techniques. Raman data (splitting of localized transversal optical phonons) have proved structural anisotropy of the CSLs. The structural anisotropy leads to optical anisotropy appeared in strong polarization dependence of PL. Temperature dependence of PL has shown that the CSLs are type-II superlattices. Additional peak in PL spectrum at low (77–100 K) temperatures can be result of quasi-1D exciton appearance in the CSLs.     

太赫兹场作用下半导体超晶格的动力学过程及光吸收谱研究

基于激子基，采用密度矩阵理论研究了太赫兹场作用下半导体超晶格的子带间动力学过程及光吸收谱。在太赫兹场的驱动下，激子作布洛赫振荡。子带间极化的缓慢变化依赖于太赫兹频率，随着太赫兹频率的增加，子带间极化向下振荡，极化强度降低。以 和 两种超晶格为例进行研究，它们的光吸收谱出现了卫星峰结构，这是由于太赫兹场与万尼尔斯塔克阶梯激子作用的非线性效应产生的。但是就 与 超晶格相比而言，我们研究发现，n<0的激子态与n=0的激子态耦合作用较强使得光吸收谱吻合性较好，n＝0时的激子态吸收光谱出现红移，n>0的激子态光吸收谱中出现的边带效应不是很明显。     

Untangling Electrostatic and Strain Effects on the Polarization of Ferroelectric Superlattices

The polarization of ferroelectric superlattices is determined by both electrical boundary conditions at the ferroelectric/paraelectric interfaces and lattice strain. The combined influence of both factors offers new opportunities to tune ferroelectricity. However, the experimental investigation of their individual impact has been elusive because of their complex interplay. Here, a simple growth strategy has permitted to disentangle both contributions by an independent control of strain in symmetric superlattices. It is found that fully strained short‐period superlattices display a large polarization whereas a pronounced reduction is observed for longer multilayer periods. This observation indicates that the electrostatic boundary mainly governs the ferroelectric properties of the multilayers whereas the effects of strain are relatively minor.     

Structure of heterointerfaces and photoluminescence properties of GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on (311)A and (311)B surfaces: Comparative analysis

The photoluminescence properties of type II GaAs/AlAs superlattices grown on the (311) surface are determined by their polarity. Previous HRTEM investigations demonstrated a corrugation (with height of 1 nm and period of 3.2 nm) of both GaAs/AlAs and AlAs/GaAs interfaces in samples grown on the (311)A surface. In the present study, a lateral periodicity of 3.2 nm is also revealed in HRTEM images of a superlattice grown on the (311)B surface and in their Fourier transforms. However, this periodicity is poorly pronounced, which is due to fuzzy corrugation and the presence of a long-wavelength (>10 nm) disorder. Photoluminescence spectra of the GaAs/AlAs superlattice on the (311)A surface are strongly polarized relative to the direction of interface corrugation, in contrast to the (311)B superlattice, in which the corrugation is weakly pronounced. It was found that the strong mixing between the Θ and X minima of the conduction band, occurring only in sublattices with strongly corrugated interfaces, allows generation of bright red luminescence at 650 nm up to room temperature. The distinctions revealed between the superlattices grown on the (311)A and (311)B surfaces confirm that it is precisely the interface corrugation, and not crystallographic orientation, that governs the optical properties of (311) superlattices.     

Spectroscopic ellipsometry of intentionally disordered superlattices

We characterized the electronic properties of ordered and intentionally disordered GaAs-Al_xGa_1−xAs superlattices, with and without dimer-type correlations in the disorder, by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry in the near band-edge region. The spectra have been compared to the calculate electronic structure. The optical transitions in the various superlattices show specific features related to their different electronic structure.     

The effect of internal fields on tunneling current in strained GaN/AlxGa1−x N(0001) structures

The influence of internal fields on tunnelling current in w-GaN/Al_xGa_1?x N(0001) nitride structures with strained barrier layers is investigated by the pseudopotential and scattering-matrix methods. It is shown that, for symmetric two-barrier structures, spontaneous polarization and a piezoelectric field lead to asymmetry of the current-voltage characteristic when the direction of an external field is varied. Moreover, for asymmetric structures these phenomena cause the current to depend on the position of layers along the polar axis. In confined superlattices, internal fields form a Stark ladder of electron states, which manifests itself in current peaks for a relatively weak external field (～10 kV/cm). Pronounced features in the tunnel current are observed for layer thicknesses which are smaller in comparison with the GaAs/AlGaAs(001) structures by a factor of approximately 2. The dependence of tunnel current on the thickness and position of the layers, temperature, and degree of doping are explained from an analysis of the Stark effect for resonance states.     

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.     

The Ir/Si/ErSi2 tunable infrared photoemission sensor

We present a new type of metal-silicon-metal infrared detector, the tunable infrared photoemission sensor (TIPS), whose photoresponse can be tuned by an externally applied bias. The physical detection process of this new device is based on the internal photoemission of optically excited carriers between the two metal layers of the vertical Ir/Si/ErSi₂/Si_sub system. We show that the experimental TIPS cut-off wavelength is shifted from around 2 urn to more than 6 urn with a quantum efficiency of 3% at 2 |i,m and more than 1% at 3 urn when a bias of less than IV is applied to the Ir electrode. The experimental quantum efficiency of such a heterostructure is quantitatively explained using a model derived from the Fowler photoemission formalism, taking into account the wavelength dependence of light absorbed in each metallic film and the four different photoemission processes present in the TIPS structure. Dark current measurements of the TIPS structure indicate that high detectivities (above 10¹⁰ cm√Hz /W at 2μm at 125K) may be expected with this new type of device.     

Modeling InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb Superlattice Infrared Detectors

InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb type II superlattices have been proposed as promising alternatives to HgCdTe for the photon-absorbing layer of an infrared detector. When combined with a barrier layer based on an InAs/AlSb superlattice or an AlSbAs alloy, respectively, they can be used to make diffusion-limited “barrier” detectors with very low dark currents. In this work we compare theoretical simulations with experimental bandgap and photoabsorption data for such superlattices, spanning from the mid to the long-wave infra-red (2.3–12 μm). The spectral response of detectors based on these materials is also simulated. The simulations are based on a version of the k · p model developed by one of the authors, which takes interface contributions and bandgap bowing into account. Our results provide a way of assessing the relative merits of InAs/GaSb and InAs/InAsSb superlattices as potential detector materials.     

Study of the influence of strained superlattices introduced into a metamorphic buffer on the electrophysical properties and the atomic structure of InAlAs/InGaAs MHEMT heterostructures

The results of studying the influence of strained superlattices introduced into a metamorphic buffer on the electrophysical properties and atomic crystal structure of In_0.70Al_0.30As/In_0.76Ga_0.24As/In_0.70Al_0.30As metamorphic high-electron-mobility transistor (MHEMT) nanoheterostructures on GaAs substrates are presented. Two types of MHEMT structures are grown by molecular beam epitaxy, namely, one with a linear increase in x in the In _x Al_{1 ? x} As metamorphic buffer, and the second with two mismatched superlattices introduced inside the metamorphic buffer. The electrophysical and structural parameters of the grown samples are studied by the van der Pauw method, transmission electron microscopy (including scanning and high-resolution microscopy), atomic-force microscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. It is revealed that the introduction of superlattices into a metamorphic buffer substantially improves the electrophysical and structural characteristics of MHEMT structures.     

Electron-phonon interaction in short-period (GaAs) m (AlAs) n (001) superlattices

The deformation potentials of electron scattering at short-wavelength phonons for intervalley transitions in the conduction band of short-period (GaAs) _m (AlAs) _n (001) (m, n = 1, 2, 3) superlattices are determined by the electron density functional method. The dependences of the electron and phonon states and deformation potentials on the layer thickness in the superlattices are analyzed. The results of ab initio calculations are in good agreement with the data of empirical calculation of the deformation potentials integrated over phonons, but differ from data on the corresponding potentials for partial scattering channels because of approximations of the phenomenological model of interatomic binding.     

Ab initio calculations of phonon spectra of (GaP)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Subscript>(AlP)<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis></Subscript> superlattices

Using the method of linear response, vibrational spectra and densities of states of GaP and AlP crystals and monolayer GaP/AlP superlattices are calculated. Phonon modes of (GaP) _n (AlP) _m superlattices with various numbers of monolayers are calculated for the center of the Brillouin zone. The obtained results are compared with the Raman scattering data and the effect of nonideality of the interface on phonon frequencies is discussed.