Effective carrier confinement of a short-period GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire array

Abstract

Quantum wire (QWR) arrays grown on a GaAs substrate with V-grooved submicrometre gratings were investigated by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) spectra. All samples were grown by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). Elliptical QWR arrays having a central thickness of 20 nm and an effective width of 40 nm were produced at the bottom of the V-grooved gratings. An intense and sharp PL peak with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 6 meV was observed from the QWR array at 21 K, which shows a sufficient mode coupling among the neighbouring QWRs and an effective carrier confinement at the quantum wire subbands. The distinct temperature dependence of the PL spectra also provides evidence of a well-fabricated QWR array. The small variation of the FWHM and peak energy from the temperature-dependent PL spectra implies that the carrier confinement at the QWR subbands is retained up to elevated temperatures.