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We tune the emission energy of self-assembled InAs/GaAs(001) quantum dots (QDs) by partial GaAs capping and annealing. During the annealing step, the surface above the QDs flattens substantially. The existence of In-rich cores below the thin GaAs cap is directly probed by using in situ selective etching. The blueshift of the QD emission energy, resulting from the reduction of the QD height, is tuned by increasing the annealing time or by reducing the capping layer thickness. For long annealing times, the ensemble photoluminescence (PL) displays a multipeak behavior which is attributed to monolayer fluctuations of the QD height. Single-QD micro-PL shows that the quality of the QDs can be improved by desorbing the In accumulated around the QDs by performing the annealing at high substrate temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We combine micro-photoluminescence (PL) with terahertz excitation to investigate the response of single self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots to intense terahertz pulses tuned to the s-to-p transition. Spectra and transients of single photoluminescence lines reveal the dynamics of electrons upon excitation and subsequent relaxation back into the initial state. Under certain circumstances, the terahertz pulse can release trapped charge carriers, which relax into the quantum dot. Furthermore, we demonstrate near-total depletion of the positive trion PL by an intense terahertz pulse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordering phenomena related to the self-assembly of InAs quantum dots (QD) grown on GaAs(001) substrates are experimentally investigated on different length scales. On the shortest length-scale studied here, we examine the QD morphology and observe two types of QD shapes, i.e., pyramids and domes. Pyramids are elongated along the [1–10] directions and are bounded by {137} facets, while domes have a multi-facetted shape. By changing the growth rates, we are able to control the size and size homogeneity of freestanding QDs. QDs grown by using low growth rate are characterized by larger sizes and a narrower size distribution. The homogeneity of buried QDs is measured by photoluminescence spectroscopy and can be improved by low temperature overgrowth. The overgrowth induces the formation of nanostructures on the surface. The fabrication of self-assembled nanoholes, which are used as a template to induce short-range positioning of QDs, is also investigated. The growth of closely spaced QDs (QD molecules) containing 2–6 QDs per QD molecule is discussed. Finally, the long-range positioning of self-assembled QDs, which can be achieved by the growth on patterned substrates, is demonstrated. Lateral QD replication observed during growth of three-dimensional QD crystals is reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shift in the optical response of a quantum well (QW) embedded in the wall of a rolled-up microtube along the tube axis is examined. The microtube is investigated by x-ray microdiffraction to deduce the strain state of the rolled-up heterostructure. Using these results, the optical response of the QW is calculated. A good agreement of the lattice parameters determined by diffraction and photoluminescence is found, if a double shell tube is assumed for certain parts of the tube. Our results indicate that a rolled-up multiwalled microtube experiences different strains on different windings at the same lateral position. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ordered GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots (QDs) are fabricated on patterned GaAs(001) substrates and their optical properties are investigated by microphotoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. QDs exhibit sharp excitonic lines with typical single QD emission features. Photon-correlation spectroscopy shows single photon emission for the neutral exciton transition. Polarization-dependent PL measurements reveal a sharp exciton line and a fine structure exchange splitting of about 70 μeV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present microphotoluminescence investigations of InAs quantum dots (QDs) integrated into self-rolling InGaAs/GaAs strained layers. The emission signal from the QDs is redshifted due to strain relaxation and increased in intensity after the strained layers are released from the substrate and rolled up into tubes. We detect waveguided light at the tube ends, which originates from the QDs at the laser excitation spot. The possibility of integrating quantum emitters into the tube walls acting as waveguides represents a major step toward the realization of flexible high quality factor optical resonators based on rolled-up nano- and microtubes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the photoluminescence (PL) properties of three-dimensional InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) crystals grown on shallow modulated periodic hole arrays patterned on GaAs(001). We find that the PL spectra become narrower and more intense with increasing number of QD layers. A deconvoluted PL linewidth of 14.9 meV is obtained from a defect-free QD crystal consisting of 11 stacked QD layers. The PL spectra obtained for QD crystals containing QD vacancies show significantly broader spectra. The PL peak energy and linewidth of the QDs across the whole pattern (100×100 μm2) remain constant within 1.278±0.001 eV and 21.0±1.7 meV, respectively. From power-dependent PL measurement, we can resolve up to seven excited-state PL peaks confirming the remarkable size homogeneity of our QD crystals. This experimental result can be reasonably fitted by a calculation based on random population theory and on a simple model for the QD confinement potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the photoluminescence (PL) properties of Ge hut cluster islands on Si(001) that were overgrown at temperatures as low as 250 °C. We find that the island-related photoluminescence systematically redshifts as the overgrowth temperature is reduced from 500 to 360 °C, which is attributed to a reduced Ge segregation. For even lower overgrowth temperatures, the emission energy saturates at 0.63 eV or 1.96 μm, more than 110 meV smaller than the band gap of unstrained bulk Ge. We report a PL peak centered at 2.01 μm at low excitation power, in good agreement with the estimated transition energy for a spatially indirect transition between holes confined in the strained Ge island and electrons confined in the surrounding Si matrix. PL is observed up to a temperature of 185 K and an activation energy of 40 meV is deduced from fitting the temperature-dependent peak intensity. Annealing experiments reveal a systematic blueshift of the hut cluster-related PL, thus verifying unambiguously, that the PL signal originates from the hut clusters and not from defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-temperature epitaxial growth of Si--Ge heterostructures opens possibilities for synthesizing very small and abrupt low-dimensional structures due to the low adatom surface mobilities. We present photoluminescence from Ge quantum structures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at low temperatures which reveals a transition from two-dimensional to three-dimensional growth. Phononless radiative recombination is observed from ‹105› faceted Ge quantum dots with height of approximately 0.9 nm and lateral width of 9 nm. Postgrowth annealing reveals a systematic blueshift of the Ge quantum dot's luminescence and a reduction in nonradiative recombination channels. With increasing annealing temperatures Si--Ge intermixing smears out the three-dimensional carrier localization around the dot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intense photoluminescence (PL) originating from single layers of germanium hut clusters grown on silicon (001) is investigated using PL spectroscopy. We propose that the luminescence originates from phononless recombination within a spatially indirect, type-II neighboring confinement structure. Enhanced no-phonon (NP) luminescence is attributed to exciton localization at the Ge/Si interfaces. The PL intensity is sensitive to the growth temperature during interface formation, as well as to post-growth thermal annealing, illustrating the influence of atomic-level Si–Ge intermixing on exciton localization and NP enhancement. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have studied the magnetophotoluminescence of doubly stacked layers of self-assembled InP quantum dots in a GaInP matrix. 4.0±0.1 monolayers of InP were deposited in the lower layer of each sample, whereas in the upper layer 3.9, 3.4, and 3.0 monolayers were used. Low-temperature photoluminescence measurements in zero magnetic field are used to show that, in each case, only one layer of dots is occupied by an electron, and imply that when the amount of InP in both layers is the same, the dots in the upper layer are larger. High-field photoluminescence data reveal that the position and extent of the hole wave function are strongly dependent on the amount of InP in the stack. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pre-stressed multi-layer nanomembranes are rolled-up into a microtube in order to tune the strain applied to the contained coupled GaAs quantum wells. Additional GaAs/AlAs adjusting layers were deposited on the top of the nanomembrane to alter the thickness/stiffness of the to-be-rolled nanomembrane. In this way, microtubes with an adjustable diameter and strain are possible from a single initial grown sample. The internal strain state in the microtube affects the energy levels of the quantum wells and their coupling, which can be probed sensitively by photoluminescence. We measure different strain relaxation in rolled-up nanomembranes which we explain using a gradual change of the longitudinal relaxation as the distance of the nanomembrane from the etching front varies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ge/Si islands grown with molecular-beam epitaxy at 630 °C are overgrown with Si at different temperatures T[sub cap], and their photoluminescene spectra are recorded. Both the island-related and wetting-layer-related energy transitions redshift with lowered T[sub cap], which is explained by reduced material intermixing. The mandatory growth interruption, which is introduced during the temperature drop, causes island ripening and shifts the island (wetting layer) photoluminescence peaks slightly to lower (higher) energies. The growth interruption quenches the quantum efficiency of the wetting layer by more than an order of magnitude, whereas the island-related photoluminescence intensity even slightly increases. The island's superior resistance against growth interruptions, and hence interface contamination, is explained by effective carrier localization in the Ge nanostructures. Room-temperature photoluminescence is reported for Ge islands overgrown at 460 °C. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth of less than 2 monolayers Ge on a submonolayer amount of predeposited C on Si results in the formation of very small Ge quantum islands. In a photoluminescence study, we compare these C-induced Ge (CGe) dots with carefully chosen reference structures incorporating the same total amount of C and Ge but with different deposition orders and with varied C distribution below the Ge islands. Our investigations imply that the special combination of pregrown low surface mobility C and post-grown high surface mobility Ge constitutes a distinct microstructure within the SiGeC material system, causing dot formation at a very early stage and showing particularly intense photoluminescence signal. Moreover, structures combining CGe dots with Si[sub 1-y]C[sub y] quantum wells are well explained by the model of spatially indirect type-II recombination within the CGe islands. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of 2.4 monolayers Ge on 0.2 monolayers of predeposited C on Si results in the formation of 15 nm size Ge islands. Fifty stacked layers of these C-induced Ge dots are grown on Si (001) at 460 °C. Different pieces of the wafer are annealed at temperatures between 460 and 950 °C and for times ranging from 1 to 20 min at 850 °C. For temperatures higher than 550 °C, a pronounced energy blueshift and an evolution from one broad photoluminescence peak to two well-resolved lines reflect a gradual transition from quantum dot states to quantum well-like states. As transmission electron microscopy images illustrate, diffusion processes completely smear out the sharp interfaces between the dots and the surrounding Si. An activation energy of only 1.6 eV and temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients are derived from simple model calculations. © 1998 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We perform excited-state spectroscopy of single self-assembled lateral InGaAs quantum dot molecules embedded in a planar microcavity structure, which are grown using a combination of metal-organic vapor phase and solid-source molecular beam epitaxy. The individual quantum dot molecules (QDMs) consist of two single dots that are coupled along the [ 1Ï0] crystal direction via electron tunneling. By microphotoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we investigate the presence and structure of the excited states confined in the system using a wide-band tunable Ti: sapphire laser source. We show that the excited states are very similar even for different molecules. We attribute this to the presence of a potential basin below the quantum dots that levels the differences among various QDMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We apply external uniaxial stress to tailor the optical properties of InxGa1-xAs/GaAs quantum dots. Unexpectedly, the emission energy of single quantum dots controllably shifts to both higher and lower energies under tensile strain. Theoretical calculations using a million atom empirical pseudopotential many-body method indicate that the shifting direction and magnitude depend on the lateral extension and more interestingly on the gallium content of the quantum dots. Our experimental results are in good agreement with the underlying theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]