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We observe ultraviolet photoluminescence from sputtered ZnO quantum dots which are fabricated with no annealing steps. The nanocrystals are embedded in amorphous SiO2 and exhibit a narrow size distribution of 3.5 ± 0.6 nm. Photoluminescence and transmittance measurements show a shift of ultraviolet emission and absorption of the dots compared to bulk ZnO material. This work paves the way for cheap nanooptical devices in the ultraviolet which are fabricated in a single sputtering run.

AbstractWe report on progress in growth and applications of submonolayer (SML) quantum dots (QDs) in high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). SML deposition enables controlled formation of high density QD arrays with good size and shape uniformity. Further increase in excitonic absorption and gain is possible with vertical stacking of SML QDs using ultrathin spacer layers. Vertically correlated, tilted or anticorrelated arrangements of the SML islands are realized and allow QD strain and wavefunction engineering. Respectively, both TE and TM polarizations of the luminescence can be achieved in the edge-emission using the same constituting materials. SML QDs provide ultrahigh modal gain, reduced temperature depletion and gain saturation effects when used in active media in laser diodes. Temperature robustness up to 100 °C for 0.98 μm range vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is realized in the continuous wave regime. An open eye 20 Gb/s operation with bit error rates better than 10−12has been achieved in a temperature range 25–85 °Cwithout current adjustment. Relaxation oscillations up to ∼30 GHz have been realized indicating feasibility of 40 Gb/s signal transmission.

InAs quantum dot (QD) layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. To achieve the highest possible In concentration in the QDs, InGaAs (instead of GaAs) cap layers with different In concentrations were deposited after the growth of the InAs QD layer. We combine different TEM techniques to determine the shape, size, and composition of the QDs. By applying a post-processing procedure, we are able to reconstruct the In concentration in the QDs which is measured too low in TEM due to the embedding of the QDs in material with lower In concentration and averaging along the finite TEM sample thickness. The determination of the composition of the layers on an atomic scale shows that the In concentration in the QDs increases in growth direction and reaches values up to 90%. Redistribution of indium during the InGaAs cap layer growth leads to a decrease of the In concentration in the cap layer with respect to the nominal In concentration. The observed redshift of the PL peak with increasing In concentration in the cap layer is attributed to the enlargement of island size and the change of the strain in the QD layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of the growth conditions during capping of CdSe/ZnSe quantum structures grown on GaAs(001) by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) were systematically investigated by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and temperature dependent, partly time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results clearly indicate formation of quantum wells with potential fluctuations if conventional MBE is used for capping the CdSe by ZnSe. In contrast, quantum dot formation occurs using migration enhanced epitaxy for this growth step. In the latter case, quantum dots can be obtained without formation of stacking faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on progress in growth and applications of submonolayer (SML) quantum dots (QDs) in high-speed vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). SML deposition enables controlled formation of high density QD arrays with good size and shape uniformity. Further increase in excitonic absorption and gain is possible with vertical stacking of SML QDs using ultrathin spacer layers. Vertically correlated, tilted or anticorrelated arrangements of the SML islands are realized and allow QD strain and wavefunction engineering. Respectively, both TE and TM polarizations of the luminescence can be achieved in the edge-emission using the same constituting materials. SML QDs provide ultrahigh modal gain, reduced temperature depletion and gain saturation effects when used in active media in laser diodes. Temperature robustness up to 100 °C for 0.98 μm range vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) is realized in the continuous wave regime. An open eye 20 Gb/s operation with bit error rates better than 10−12 has been achieved in a temperature range 25–85 °C without current adjustment. Relaxation oscillations up to ∼30 GHz have been realized indicating feasibility of 40 Gb/s signal transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we report the dependence of the defect configuration observed in CdSe/ZnSe quantum dot structures on the ZnSe cap layer thickness by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The samples were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at 350°C. The nominal thickness of the CdSe layers was approximately 3 monolayers and the cap layer thickness was varied in the range from 3 to 60 nm. In all samples, RHEED showed a transition from the two-dimensional (2D) to the three-dimensional (3D) growth mode during the CdSe deposition. By TEM we found pairs of stacking faults (SFs) lying on one of the two pairs of lattice planes given by {(111) (111)} and {(111) (111)}. The SFs are bound by Shockley partial dislocations. Both of the SFs forming one pair originate from the same stair-rod dislocation with Burgers vector b = 1/6 {110} lying at the CdSe- 6 ZnSe interface inside a Cd-rich region (island). Measuring the atomic displacements in the vicinity of the SFs, we obtained that all SFs have an intrinsic nature. At the line of contact of two SFs that belong to different pairs, we observed stair-rod dislocations with b = 1/3 {100} which are inclined to the 3 interface. The length of all dislocation lines and the sizes of the SFs increase with increasing ZnSe cap layer thickness. We find that the 2D-3D transition observed by RHEED is most probably caused by defect formation, which is discussed with respect to the relaxation of strain in the CdSe layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on efficient injection of electron spins into InGaAs-based nanostructures. The spin light-emitting diodes incorporate an InGaAs quantum well or quantum dots, respectively, as well as a semimagnetic ZnMnSe spin-aligner layer. We show a circular polarization degree of up to 35% for the electroluminescence from InGaAs quantum wells and up to 21% for InGaAs quantum dots. We can clearly attribute the polarization of the emitted photons to the spin alignment in the semimagnetic layer by comparison to results from reference devices (where the ZnMnSe is replaced by ZnSe) and from all-optical measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth and vertical organization of CdSe quantum dots in three-layer stacks consisting of CdSe with a nominal thickness of 2.5 monolayers (ML) and ZnSe spacers with thicknesses between 10 and 20 ML was investigated by reflection high energy electron diffraction during the growth and different transmission electron microscopy techniques. The samples were grown by molecular beam epitaxy at 400 °C. It was found that up to 10 ML spacer thickness all three CdSe layers and ZnSe spacers form one broad (Cd, Zn)Se alloy layer with a small Cd concentration containing Cd-rich islands with a size of ∼15 nm. For spacers with a larger thickness (12-20 ML) three separated ternary (Cd, Zn)Se layers are observed which contain Cd-rich inclusions (small islands) with a size of less than 10 nm. A preferential vertical correlation of the small islands occurs for the 12 ML spacer thickness. With increasing spacer thickness, the number of the correlated small islands is reduced displaying a tendency to uncorrelated growth. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the "coffee-bean" strain contrast is studied, that is observed in the plan-view transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images of CdSe/ZnSe quantum dot structures. The samples were grown by two different methods: standard molecular-beam epitaxy at 350 °C and atomic layer epitaxy at 230 °C with annealing at 340 °C after the CdSe deposition. The nominal CdSe thickness was above 3 ML. In situ reflection high energy electron diffraction during the growth or during the annealing shows the transition from the two- (2D) into the three-dimensional (3D) surface morphology for both samples. The coffee-bean contrast is usually assigned to three-dimensional islands which are generated after the morphological 2D/3D transition. It is found that the coffee-bean contrast in plan-view TEM images is alternatively associated with pairs of stacking faults on {111} lattice planes which are inclined against each other. The stacking faults, which are bound by Shockley partial dislocations, are preferably generated in the vicinity of the Cd-rich regions (large islands) of the CdZnSe layer where Cd concentrations of more than 40% are found. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two well distinguishable classes of nanoscale islands were identified in CdSe/ZnSe quantum dot structures by optical spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. For 2.1 to 3.1 monolayer CdSe deposition, coherent three-dimensional (3D) islands, formed in the Stranski-Krastanow (SK) mode, are found with typical diameters of ∼16 nm and a coverage-dependent density of up to 3x10[sup 10] cm[sup -2]. Simultaneously, small islands with lateral extensions below 10 nm and a density of ∼5x10[sup 11] cm[sup -2] are formed by strain-modified island growth. Whereas the 3D SK islands dominate the emission properties at room temperature, the latter smaller islands determine the optical properties at temperatures below 120 K. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have investigated the growth kinetics of the self-assembled formation of coherently strained CdSe islands. We have found that two distinctly different types of islands are formed in succession. Analyzing the density distribution function of the two dominating size classes of islands, we show that islands of an average diameter of about 16 nm (type B islands) are correlated with a phase transition via a Stranski-Krastanow growth process. The other islands with a diameter of less than 10 nm (type A islands) is formed during the growth of the first 2 ML. At a coverage of about 3.1 ML CdSe stacking faults appear, indicating the beginning of the plastic relaxation of the quantum dot structure. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, we investigated the effect of in situ annealing on InAs quantum dots site-selectively grown on pre-structured GaAs substrates. A morphological transition is observed with original double dots merging into one single dot during annealing. This is accompanied by a reduction of quantum dots originally nucleating between defined sites. The photoluminescence intensity of annealed site-selective quantum dots is compared to annealed self-assembled dots with linewidths of single dot emission of about 170 and , respectively. UV-ozone cleaning is used to optimize the sample cleaning prior to quantum dot growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We report on electrical spin injection into InGaAs-based nanostructures through a semi-magnetic ZnMnSe layer in a magnetic field. We show an optical polarization degree of the electro-luminescence of up to 35% in InGaAs quantum wells and up to 14% in InGaAs quantum dots. To be able to attribute the polarization of the emitted photons to the spin alignment in the semi-magnetic layer, we have fabricated reference devices and performed all-optical measurements. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

(3 1 1)A GaAs/AlAs corrugated superlattices (CSLs) and satellite (3 1 1)B and (1 0 0) SLs were studied using Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmittance electron microscopy (HRTEM) and photoluminescence (PL). The thickness of GaAs layers was varied from 1 monolayer (ML) to 10 ML, the thickness of AlAs barriers was 10 ML in (3 1 1) direction. The strongest modification of the Raman spectra is found for the case of partial (<1 nm) GaAs filling of the AlAs surface. The calculated and experimental Raman spectra demonstrated a good agreement for both complete (⩾1 nm) and partial (<1 nm) GaAs filling of the AlAs surface. According to Raman and HRTEM data, in the case of partial filling of (3 1 1)A AlAs surface, GaAs forms quantum well wires of finite length (quantum dots). A drastic difference of PL from grown side-by-side (3 1 1)A and (3 1 1)B SLs was observed. A strong room temperature PL in the green–yellow spectral region was observed in GaAs/AlAs (3 1 1)A CSLs containing GaAs type-II quantum dots. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]