Optical response in a quantum dot superlattice nanoring under a lateral electric field

The optical absorption of a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dot superlattice nanoring (QDSLNR) under a lateral dc electric field and with magnetic flux threading the ring is investigated. This structure and configuration provides a unique opportunity to study the optical response of a superlattice under an inhomogeneous electric field, which is not easily realized for general quantum well superlattices (QWSLs) but naturally realized for QDSLNRs under a homogeneous lateral electric field. It has been shown that a lateral dc electric field gives rise to a substantial change of the optical absorption spectra. Under a low field, the excitonic optical absorption is dominated by a 1s exciton. And with the electric field increasing, the optical absorption undergoes a transition from 1s excitonic absorption to 0 excitronic WSL absorption. (The number of 0, and -1 and +1 below are WSLs index.) The -1 and the +1 WSLs corresponding to the maximum effective field can also be identified. Due to the inhomogeneity of the electric field, the peaks of the -1 and the +1 WSLs are diminished and between them there exist rich and complicated structures. This is in contrast to the general QWSLs under a homogenous electric field. The complicated structures can be understood by considering the inhomogeneity of the electric field along the ring, which results in the nearest-neighbor transition, the next-nearest-neighbor transition, etc., have a different value repectively, at different sites along the ring. This may give rise to multiple WSLs. We have also shown that the line shape of the optical absorption is not sensitive to the threading magnetic flux. The threading magnetic flux only gives rise to a slight diamagnetic shift. Thus the enhancement of the sensitivity to the flux allowing for observation of the excitonic Aharanov-Bohm effect in the plain nanoring is not expected in QDSLNRs.

Reduce of threshold of laser inducing breakdown in atmosphere by introducing an electric spark

We report laser-generated plasmas in atmosphere with electrical spark generated by a synchronization circuit. The breakdown thresholds under the conditions that the electrical spark is used and not used are compared. The breakdown threshold has a distinct decrease after the electrical spark is used. Breakdown thresholds as a function of atmosphere pressure have also been measured at laser wavelengths 532 nm and 1064 rim for the laser pulse width of 15ns. We also discuss the principle and performances of the ionized atmosphere by Nd:YAG laser under the condition of electrical spark introduction. Multiphoton ionization and cascade ionization play important roles in the whole process of atmosphere ionization. The free electron induced by electrical spark can supply the initialization free electron number for multiphoton ionization and cascade ionization. A model for breakdown in atmosphere, which is in good agreement with the experimental results, is described.

NEW FORMATION MECHANISM OF ELECTRIC-FIELD DOMAIN DUE TO GAMMA-X SEQUENTIAL TUNNELING IN GAAS/ALAS SUPERLATTICES

We have studied the sequential tunneling of doped weakly coupled GaAs/ALAs superlattices (SLs), whose ground state of the X valley in AlAS layers is designed to be located between the ground state (E(GAMMA1)) and the first excited state (E(GAMMA2)) of the GAMMA valley in GaAs wells. The experimental results demonstrate that the high electric field domain in these SLs is attributed to the GAMMA-X sequential tunneling instead of the usual sequential resonant tunneling between subbands in adjacent wells. Within this kind of high field domain, electrons from the ground state in the GaAs well tunnel to the ground state of the X valley in the nearest AlAs layer, then through very rapid real-space transfer relax from the X valley in the AlAs layer to the ground state of the GAMMA valley of the next GaAs well.

COHERENT MODEL FOR RESONANT-TUNNELING OF ELECTRONS IN DOUBLE-QUANTUM WELLS UNDER ELECTRIC-FIELDS

Taking the inhomogenous broadening of the electron energy levels into account, a coherent model of the resonant tunneling (RT) of electrons in double quantum wells is presented. The validity of the model is confirmed with the experiments [M. Nido et al., Proc. SPIE 1268, 177 (1990)], and shows that the tunneling process can be explained by the simple coherent theory even in the presence of the carrier scattering. We have discussed the dependence of resonant tunneling on the barrier thickness L(B) by introducing the contrast ratio LAMBDA and the full width at half depth of the RT valley, and found that LAMBDA first increases with increasing barrier thickness, reaches a maximum, and then decreases with a further increase of L(B), in striking contrast to the Fabry-Perot model where a monotonic increase of the peak-to-valley ratio is predicted. We attribute the reduction of LAMBDA with large L(B) to the energy broadening resulting from the carrier scattering. A monotonic decrease of the full width at half depth of the RT valley with an increase of L(R) is also found.

ELECTRIC-FIELD-INDUCED EXCITON-LINEWIDTH BROADENING IN SHORT-PERIOD GAAS/GAXAL1-XAS SUPERLATTICES

We have investigated the Wannier-Stark effect in GaAs/GaAl1-xAs superlattices under electric fields by photocurrent spectroscopy measurements in the range of temperatures 10-300 K. The linewidth of the Oh Stark-ladder exciton was found to increase significantly along with an increase in peak intensity when the electric field increases. We present a mechanism based on an enhanced interface roughness scattering of electronic states due to Wannier-Stark localization in order to explain this increased broadening with electric field. This electric-field-related scattering mechanism will weaken the negative differential conductance effects in superlattices predicted by Esaki and Tsu.

WANNIER LOCALIZATION IN GAAS/GAALAS SUPERLATTICES UNDER ELECTRIC-FIELD

We have studied the Wannier-Stark effect in GaAs/GaAlAs short-period superlattices under applied electric field perpendicular to the layers by room- and low-temperature photocurrent measurements. The changes in the transition intensities with biasing are well fitted to a theoretical calculation based on the finite Kronig-Penney model on which the potential of an applied electric field is superposed. With increasing electric field, the 0h peak grows to a maximum while the -1h and +1h peaks monotonousely decrease. By a comparison of the spectra measured at different temperatures, the two peaks in the room temperature photocurrent spectra at relatively low electric field (1.0 X 10(4) V/cm) are identified to be caused by the Wannier localization effect instead of saddle-point excitons.

WANNIER QUANTIZATION OF A SUPERLATTICE SUBBAND UNDER AN ELECTRIC-FIELD

Wavefunctions of electronic Wannier-Stark states in a superlattice are calculated with a finite Kronig-Penney model. Overlap integrals between electron and heavy-hole wavefunctions centred in the same well layer, and in first- and second-neighbour wells are calculated as functions of the applied field. The results show good agreement with experimental results on photoluminescence. The problem is also treated by a one-band approximation method, which gives a closed expression for the wavefunction of the Wannier-Stark states; this is compared with the results of accurate calculations with the Kronig-Penney model.

Current oscillations and stable electric field domains in doped GaAs/AlAs superlattices

The crossover between two regimes has been observed in the vertical electric transport of weakly coupled GaAs/AlAs superlattices (SLs). At fixed d.c. bias, the SLs can be triggered by illumination to switch from a regime of temporal current oscillation to the formation of a stable electric field domain. The conversion can be reversed by raising the sample temperature to about 200 K. An effective carrier injection model is proposed to explain the conversion processes, taking into account the contact resistance originating from DX centres in the n(+)-Al0.5Ga0.5As contact layers which is sensitive to light illumination and temperature. In addition, quasiperiodic oscillations have been observed at a particular d.c. bias voltage.

Quantum dot superlattices and their conductance

The one-dimensional energy bands and corresponding conductivities of a T-shaped quantum-dot superlattice are studied in various cases: different periods, with potential barriers between dots, and in transverse electric fields. It is found that the conductivity of the superlattices has a similar energy relation to the conductance of a single quantum dot, but vanishes in the energy gap region. The energy band of a superlattice with periodically modulated conducting width in the perpendicular magnetic field is calculated for comparison with magneto-transport experiments. It is found that due to the edge state effect the electron has strong quantum transport features. The energy gaps change with the width of the channel, corresponding to the deep peaks in the conductance curve. This method of calculating the energy bands of quantum-dot superlattices is applicable to complex geometric structures without substantial difficulty. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.