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A structural and optical characterization of scepterlike micrometer-sized free-standing structures, composed of a long InGaP rod with a metallic sphere on its top, grown on polycrystalline InP substrates is presented. The InGaP rods present essentially constant Ga composition within a fluctuation of approximately 10% and efficient optical emission.

We investigate optical transitions and carrier dynamics in hybrid structures containing type-I GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) and type-II GaSb/AlGaAs quantum dots (QDs). We show that the optical recombination of photocreated electrons confined in the QWs with holes in the QDs and wetting layer can be modified according to the QW/QD spatial separation. In particular, for low spacer thicknesses, the QW optical emission can be suppressed due to the transference of holes from the QW to the GaSb layer, favoring the optical recombination of spatially separated carriers, which can be useful for optical memory and solar cell applications. Time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) measurements reveal non-exponential recombination dynamics. We demonstrate that the PL transients can only be quantitatively described by considering both linear and quadratic terms of the carrier density in the bimolecular recombination approximation for type-II semiconductor nanostructures. We extract long exciton lifetimes from 700 ns to 5 μs for QDs depending on the spacer layer thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoluminescence and photomodulated transmission measurements were used to determine the electronic properties, Fermi energy and two-dimensional electron gas density in InGaAs/GaAs modulation doped pseudomorphic single quantum wells. The Stokes shift was responsible for the sharp lines that were observed in the photomodulated transmission spectra at low temperatures, which were separate from the luminescence peaks.

We investigated the effects of nearby Mn ions on the confined states of a InGaAs/GaAs quantum well through circularly polarized and magneto-optical measurements. The addition of a Mn delta-doping layer at the barrier close to the well gives rise to surprisingly narrow absorption peaks in the photoluminescence excitation spectra. The peaks become increasingly stronger for decreasing spacer-layer thicknesses between the quantum well and the Mn layer. Most of the peaks were identified based on self-consistent calculations; however, we observed additional peaks that cannot be identified with quantum well transitions, which origin we attribute to an enhanced exciton-phonon coupling. Finally, we discuss possible effects related to the exciton magneto-polaron complex in the reinforcement of the photoluminescence excitation peaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The point defects of single ZnO microwires grown by carbothermal reduction were studied by microphotoluminescence, photoresistance excitation spectra, and resistance as a function of the temperature. We found the deep level defect density profile along the microwire showing that the concentration of defects decreases from the base to the tip of the microwires and this effect correlates with a band gap narrowing. The results show a characteristic deep defect levels inside the gap at 0.88 eV from the top of the VB. The resistance as a function of the temperature shows defect levels next to the bottom of the CB at 110 meV and a mean defect concentration of 4x1018 cm-3. This combination of techniques allows us to study the band gap values and defects states inside the gap in single ZnO microwires and opens the possibility to be used as a defect spectroscopy method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a low-temperature (73 K) study of the optical properties of multi-layer type II InP/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots by means of surface photovoltage (SPV) spectroscopy, taking advantage of its high sensitivity and contactless nature. The samples contain 10 periods of InP quantum dot planes separated by 5 nm GaAs spacers. The SPV amplitude spectra reveal two major broad peaks, situated at low and high energies, respectively. These features are analyzed taking into account the type II character of the structure, the quantum coupling effects, the spectral behavior of the SPV phase, and the photoluminescence spectra. As a result they have been attributed to optical transitions in the quantum dots and the wetting layers, respectively. The main mechanism for carrier separation in the SPV generation process is clarified via the analysis of the SPV phase spectra. The influence of the substrate absorption on the SPV spectra is discussed in details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk Zn1-xCoxO samples were synthesized via standard solid-state reaction route with different Co molar concentrations up to 21%. A detailed microstructural analysis was carried out to investigate alternative sources of ferromagnetism, such as secondary phases and nanocrystals embedded in the bulk material. Conjugating different techniques we confirmed the Zn replacement by Co ions in the wurtzite ZnO structure, which retains, however, a high crystalline quality. No segregated secondary phases neither Co-rich nanocrystals were detected. Superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry demonstrates a paramagnetic Curie–Weiss behavior with antiferromagnetic interactions. We discuss the observed room temperature paramagnetism of our samples considering the current models for the magnetic properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated structural and optical properties of type-II InP/GaAs quantum dots using reflection high energy electron diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, grazing incidence x-ray diffraction, and photoluminescence techniques. The InP dots present an efficient optical emission even when they are uncapped, which is attributed to the low surface recombination velocity in InP. We compare the difference in the optical properties between surface free dots, which are not covered by any material, with dots covered by a GaAs capping layer. We observed a bimodal dispersion of the dot size distribution, giving rise to two distinct emission bands. The results also revealed that the strain accumulated in the InP islands is slightly relieved for samples with large InP amounts. An unexpected result is the relatively large blue shift of the emission band from uncapped samples as compared to capped dots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a structural and optical characterization of scepterlike micrometer-sized free-standing structures, composed of a long InGaP rod with a metallic sphere on its top, grown on polycrystalline InP substrates. In contrast to the conventional vapor-liquid-solid growth method, no catalyst was deposited on the substrate. Instead, metallic In liberated from the InP substrate by phosphor evaporation works as the catalyst metal. We performed Raman scattering, photoluminescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy measurements on individual structures. The alloy composition measured by microscopic techniques is in agreement with the values obtained by the optical measurements considering that the rod is strain free. The InGaP rods present essentially constant Ga composition within a fluctuation of ∼10% and efficient optical emission. We also observed a marked increase in the Raman-scattering signal at rod positions near the metallic sphere (the “neck”), which was attributed to a surface-enhanced Raman-scattering effect. Our results demonstrate the possibility of using InGaP rods for optical device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal evolution of the magnetic properties of manganese arsenides (MnAs) epitaxial films grown on GaAs(001) during the coexistence of hexagonal/orthorhombic phases is investigated using polarized resonant (magnetic) soft-x-ray scattering and magnetic force microcopy. The results of the diffuse satellite x-ray peaks are compared to those obtained by magnetic force microscopy and suggest a reorientation of ferromagnetic terraces as temperature rises.

Discusses a study which measured the photoluminescence and photomodulated transmission (PT) on indium gallium arsenide/gallium arsenide modulation doped pseudomorphic single quantum wells. Experimental procedures; Energies of the critical point associated with PT structures; Findings of magnetotransport measurements; Conclusions.

Presents a study that investigated silicon σ-doped gallium arsenide semiconductors grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Analysis of the photoreflectance spectra of the samples; Effect of silicon dopant concentration on the energy position of the samples; Examination of the temperature dependence of the energy separation.