Free and bound excitons in GaN∕AlGaN homoepitaxial quantum wells grown on bulk GaN substrate along the nonpolar (112¯0) direction

Abstract

Nonpolar multiple quantum wells (MQWs) have been grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy on bulk GaN crystals oriented along the (112¯0) direction. The photoluminescence intensity of the nonpolar MQWs was significantly higher than that found for the polar samples, both at low (10 K) and room temperature. This is a consequence of the lack of built-in electric field in samples grown along the (112¯0) direction. Clearly resolved spectra of the excitons have been observed in the studied MQWs. Studies of these excitonic structures, by means of polarization and temperature measurements enabled us to assign the observed lines to free and bound excitons in GaN quantum wells.