Spectral dependence of spin photocurrent and current-induced spin polarization in an InGaAs/InAlAs two-dimensional electron gas

The converse effects of spin photocurrent and current induced spin polarization are experimentally demonstrated in a two-dimensional electron gas system with Rashba spin splitting. Their consistency with the strength of the Rashba coupling as measured for the same system from beating of the Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals a unified picture for the spin photocurrent, current-induced spin-polarization, and spin-orbit coupling. In addition, the observed spectral inversion of the spin photocurrent indicates a system with dominating structure inversion asymmetry.

Size evolution and optical properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots on different matrix

InAs quantum dots have been grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy on different matrix to investigate the effect on the structure and optical properties. High density of 1.02 x 10(11) cm(-2) of InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As and In0.15Al0.85As underlying layer has been achieved. Atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence spectra show the size evolution of InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As underlying layer. A strong 1.3 mum photoluminescence from InAs islands on In0.15Ga0.85As underlying layer and with InGaAs strain-reduced layer has been obtained. Single-mirror light emitting diode structures with InAs quantum dots capped by InGaAs grown on InGaAs layer as active layer were fabricated and the corresponding radiative efficiency was deduced to be as high as 20.5%. Our results provide important information for optimizing the epitaxial structures of 1.3 mum wavelength quantum dots devices. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Controllable growth of semiconductor nanometer structures

Self-assembled quantum dots and wires were obtained in the InxGa1-xAs/GaAs and InAs/In0.52Al0.48As/InP systems, respectively, using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Uniformity in the distribution, density, and spatial ordering of the nanostructures can be controlled to some extent by adjusting and optimizing the MBE growth parameters. In addition, some interesting observation on the InAs wire alignment on InP(001) is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure and optical properties of self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots with In0.15Ga0.85As underlying layer

A high density of 1.02 x 10(11) cm(-2) of InAs islands with In(0.15)Gao(0.85)As underlying layer has been achieved on GaAs (10 0) substrate by solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Atomic force microscopy and PL spectra show the size evolution of InAs islands. A 1.3 mum photoluminescence (PL) from InAs islands with In(0.15)Gao(0.85)As underlying layer and InGaAs strain-reduced layer has been obtained. Our results provide important information for optimizing the epitaxial structures of 1.3 mum wavelength quantum dots devices. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence properties of self-organized InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot structures

Optical properties of InGaAs/GaAs self-organized quantum dots (QDs) structures covered by InxGa1-x As capping layers with different In contents chi ranging from 0. 0 (i.e., GaAs) to 0. 3 were investigated systematically by photoluminescence (PL) measurements. Red-shift of the PL peak energies of the InAs QDs covered by InxGa1-xAs layers with narrower linewidth and less shifts of the PL emissions via variations of the measurement temperatures were observed compared with that covered by GaAs layers. Calculation and structural measurements confirm that the red-shift of the PL peaks are mainly due to strain reduction and suppression of the In/Ga intermixing due to the InxGa1-xAs cover layer, leading to better size uniformity and thus narrowing the PL linewidth of the QDs. 1. 3 mum wavelength emission with very narrow linewidth of only 19. 2 meV at room temperature was successfully obtained from the In0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs QDs covered by the In0.2Ga0.8As layer.

Effects of interdiffusion on the luminescence of InAs/GaAs quantum dots covered by InGaAs overgrowth layer

We have studied the effects of postgrowth rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of 3-nm-height InAs/GaAs quantum dots covered by 3-nm-thick InxGa1-xAs (x = 0, 0.1, and 0.2) overgrowth layer. At higher annealing temperature (T greater than or equal to 750 degreesC), the photoluminescence peak of InGaAs layer has been observed at lower-energy side of the InAs quantum-dot peak. In addition, the blueshift in photoluminescence (PL) emission energy is found to he similar for all samples with increasing the annealing temperature from 650 to 850 degreesC. However, the trend of narrowing of photoluminescence linewidth is significantly different for InAs quantum dots with different In mole fractions in InGaAs overgrowth layer. These results suggest that the intermixing in the lateral direction plays an important role in helping to understand the modification of optical properties induced by rapid thermal annealing. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoelectrochemical behavior of a novel composite In0.15Ga0.85As/GaAs vertical bar GaAs/Al0.3Ga0.7As multiple quantum well electrode

A novel composite InxGa1-xAs/GaAs/GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs multiple quantum well material with different well widths was studied as a new kind of photoelectrode in a photoelectrochemical cell. The photocurrent spectrum and photocurrent-electrode potential curve were measured in ferrocene nonaqueous solution. Pronounced quantization effects and strong exciton absorption were observed in the photocurrent spectrum. The effects of surface states and interfacial states on the photocurrent-electrode potential curve are discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.

Effect of In-mole-fraction in InGaAs overgrowth layer on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots

We have studied the optical and structural properties of InAs/GaAs QDs covered by InxGa1-xAs (0 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.3) layer using transmission electron microscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectra and atomic force microscopy. We find that the strain reduces in the growth direction of InAs islands covered by InGaAs instead of GaAs layer. Significant redshift of PL peak energy and narrowing of PL linewidth are observed for the InAs QDs covered by 3 nm thick InGaAs layer. In addition, atomic force microscopy measurements indicate that the InGaAs islands will nucleate on top of InAs quantum dots, when 3 nm In0.3Ga0.7As overgrowth layer is deposited. This result can well explain the PL intensify degradation and linewidth increment of quantum dots with a higher In-mole-fraction InGaAs layer. The energy gap change of InAs QDs covered by InGaAs may be explained in terms of reducing strain, suppressing compositional mixing and increasing island height. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Photoluminescence study of InAlAs quantum dots grown on differently oriented surfaces

We reported the optical properties of self-assembled In0.55Al0.45As quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy on (001) and (n11)A/B(n = 3,5)GaAs substrates. Two peaks were observed in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra from quantum dots in the (001) substrate and this suggested two sets of quantum dots different in size. For quantum dots in the high-index substrates, the PL spectra were related to the atomic-terminated surface (A or B substrate). The peaks for the B substrate surfaces were in the lower energy position than that for the (001) and A type. In addition, quantum dots in the B substrate have comparatively high quantum efficiency. These results suggested that high-index B-type substrate is more suitable for the fabrication of quantum dots than (001) and A-type substrates at the same growth condition. (C) 2000 American Vacuum Society. [S0734-211X(00)04701-6].

Quantum-dot superluminescent diode: A proposal for an ultra-wide output spectrum

We propose a novel superluminescent diode (SLD) with a quantum dot (QD) active layer, which should give a wider output spectrum than a conventional quantum well SLD. The device makes use of inhomogeneous broadness of gain spectrum resulting from size inhomogeneity of self-assembled quantum dots grown by Stranski-Krastanow mode. Taking a design made out in the InxGa1-xAs/GaAs system for example, the spectrum characteristics of the device are simulated realistically, 100-200 nm full width of half maximum of output spectrum can be obtained. The dependence of the output spectrum on In composition, size distribution and injection current of the dots active region is also elaborated.

Indium composition dependence of the size uniformity of InGaAs quantum dots on (311)B GaAs grown by molecular beam epitaxy

The deposition of InxGa1-xAs (0.2 less than or equal to x less than or equal to 0.5) on (311)B GaAs surfaces using solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been studied. Both AFM and photoluminescence emission showed that homogeneous quantum dots could be formed on (311)B GaAs surface when indium composition was around 0.4. Indium composition had a strong influence on the size uniformity and the lateral alignment of quantum dots. Compared with other surface orientation, (100) and (n11) A/B (n=1,2,3), photoluminescence measurement confirmed that (311)B surface is the most advantageous in fabricating uniform and dense quantum dots.

Substrate surface atomic structure influence on the growth of InAlAs quantum dots

We have examined the influence of substrate surface orientation on self-assembled InAlAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown on (0 0 1) and (n 1 1) A/B (n = 3, 5) GaAs substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Preliminary characterizations have been performed using photoluminescence (PL) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The PL emission energies of quantum dots on high Miller index surface are found to be strongly dependent on the atomic-terminated surface (A or B surface) of the substrate. We observed that there were planar ordering larger islands on (3 1 1)B surface compared to (0 0 1) surface, in contrast, a rough interface and smaller "grains" on (3 1 1)A surface, this result is identical with PL emission energy from these islands. We propose that the rapid strain-induced surface "roughening" impedes the formation of 3D islands on A surface, and indicating that this is a promising approach of the realization of ordering distribution on (3 1 1)B plane for devices such as red-emitting semiconductor quantum dots lasers. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Lateral ordered InGaAs self-organized quantum dots grown on (311) GaAs by conventional molecular beam epitaxy

Self-assembled InxGa1-xAs quantum dots (QDs) on (311) and (100) GaAs surfaces have been grown by conventional solid source molecular beam epitaxy. Spontaneously ordering alignment of InxGa1-xAs QDs with lower In content around 0.3 has been observed on As-terminated (B type) surfaces. The direction of alignment orientation of the QDs formation differs from the direction of misorientation of the (311) B surface, and is strongly dependent upon the In content x. The ordering alignment becomes significantly deteriorated as the In content is increased to above 0.5 or as the QDs are formed on (100) and (311) Ga-terminated (A type) substrates.

In composition dependence of lateral ordering in InGaAs quantum dots grown on (311)B GaAs substrates

Self-assembled InxGa1-xAs quantum dots (QDs) on (311)A/B GaAs surfaces have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Spontaneously ordering alignment of InxGa1-xAs with lower In content around 0.3 have been observed. The direction of alignment orientation of the QDs formation differs from the direction of misorientation of the (311)B surface, and is strongly dependent upon the In content x. The ordering alignment become significantly deteriorated as the In content is increased to above 0.5 or as the QDs are formed on (100) or (311)A substrates. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth mode and strain relaxation of InAs on InP (111)A grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Growth mode and strain relaxation of molecular-beam-epitaxy grown InAs/InAlAs/InP (111)A system have been investigated using reflection high-energy electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. In direct contrast to the well-studied InAs/GaAs system, our experimental results show that the InAs grown on InAlAs/InP (111)A follows the Stranski-Krastanov mode. Both self-organized InAs quantum dots and relaxed InAs islands are formed depending on the InAs coverage. Intense luminescence signals from both the InAs quantum dots and wetting layer are observed. The luminescence efficiency of (111)A samples is comparable to that of (001) samples, suggesting the feasibility of fabricating quantum dot optoelectronic devices on InP (111)A surfaces. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)01010-4].