ZnSe Quantum Wells Research Articles

Magneto-optics of two-dimensional electron gases modified by strong Coulomb interactions in ZnSe quantum wells

The optical properties of two-dimensional electron gases in ZnSe/(Zn,Be)Se and ZnSe/(Zn,Be,Mg)Se modulation-doped quantum wells with electron densities up to 1.4x10^{12} cm^{-2} were studied by photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation and reflectivity in a temperature range between 1.6 and 70 K and in external magnetic fields up to 48 T. In these structures, the Fermi energy of the two-dimensional electron gas falls in the range between the trion binding energy and the exciton binding energy. Optical spectra in this regime are shown to be strongly influenced by the Coulomb interaction between electrons and photoexcited holes. In high magnetic fields, when the filling factor of the two-dimensional electron gas becomes smaller than two, a change from Landau-level-like spectra to exciton-like spectra occurs. We attempt to provide a phenomenological description of the evolution of optical spectra for quantum wells with strong Coulomb interactions.

Universal estimation of X- trion binding energy in semiconductor quantum wells

A simple illustrative wave function with only three variational parameters is suggested to calculate the binding energy of negatively charged excitons (X-) as a function of quantum well width. The results of calculations are in agreement with experimental data for GaAs, CdTe and ZnSe quantum wells, which differ considerably in exciton and trion binding energy. The normalized X- binding energy is found to be nearly independent of electron-to-hole mass ratio for any quantum well heterostructure with conventional parameters. Its dependence on quantum well width follows an universal curve. The curve is described by a simple phenomenological equation.

Ultrafast Breathinglike Oscillation in the Exciton Density of ZnSe Quantum Wells

The spatial density profile of a low-density exciton ensemble in ZnSe quantum wells shows a breathinglike oscillation on a 30-ps time scale. This breathing results from the emission of the first acoustic phonon at the end of the quasiballistic transport phase of the excitons which reverses their direction of propagation. Since the scattering destroys the phase of the excitonic wave function, one can deduce simultaneously the coherence length and the coherence time of excitonic transport by evaluation of the oscillation measured from a single experiment. The breathing, which can be modeled by Monte Carlo simulations, is quenched for rising lattice temperature, i.e., increasing phonon absorption, and in samples with significant disorder. These results were obtained by time-resolved nanophotoluminescence with 5 ps and 250 nm temporal and spatial resolution, respectively.

Thomas–Fermi–Dirac calculations of valence band states in two p‐type delta‐doped ZnSe quantum wells

AbstractWe present the hole sub‐band structure study in two p‐type δ‐doped ZnSe QW's. An analytical expression for the Hartree–Fock potential is obtained following the lines of the Thomas–Fermi–Dirac (TFD) approximation. We have analyzed the dependence of the hole energy levels to the impurity density and the interlayer distance between wells. The exchange effects are also included in the present survey. We find that many body effects cannot be ignored because these are really important in the calculation at least in the low concentration regime. We have obtained an energy difference between the top of the valence band and the ground energy of the heavy hole ladder of meV in good agreement with the experimental reports ( eV) available. We calculate the mobility ratio between double δ‐doped QW's and simple δ‐doped QW based on a phenomenological formula. We find the optimum interlayer distance between wells for maximum mobility for three impurity concentrations, which can be of great importance for technological applications. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

High‐efficiency electron‐beam pumped green semiconductor lasers based on multiple CdSe quantum disk sheets

We report on room temperature operation of green electron beam pumped semiconductor lasers based on multiple ZnSe quantum wells with CdSe quantum disk sheets, embedded in the ZnSSe/ZnSe alternately-strained superlattice waveguide. An efficiency of 4% per facet at electron beam energies of 18–21 keV was achieved. The output pulse power up to 12 W was detected. (© 2005 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Lasing in Cd(Zn)Se/ZnMgSSe heterostructures pumped by nitrogen and InGaN/GaN lasers

Photoluminescence and lasing at a wavelength of λ=510–530 nm (green spectral region) in Cd(Zn)Se/ZnMgSSe structures with a different design of the active region are studied in a wide range of temperatures and nitrogen laser pump intensities. A minimal lasing threshold of 10 kW/cm2, a maximal external quantum efficiency of 12%, and a maximal output power of 20 W were obtained for the structure with the active region composed of three ZnSe quantum wells with fractional-monolayer CdSe inserts. The lasers exhibited a high temperature stability of the lasing threshold (characteristic temperature T0=330 K up to 100°C). For the first time, an integrated converter composed of a green Cd(Zn)Se/ZnMgSSe laser optically pumped by a blue InGaN/GaN laser that is grown on a Si (111) substrate and incorporates multiple quantum wells is suggested and studied.

Exciton-Boson Formalism in the Theory of Laser-Excited Semiconductors and Its Application in Coherent Four-Wave-Mixing Spectroscopy

By the use of a bosonization transformation and group-theoretical arguments, the Hamiltonian of an electron–hole–photon system in a laser-excited direct two-band semiconductor is transcribed into that of an exciton–photon system with the particle spins rigorously taken into consideration. It is shown that the third-order optical nonlinearities in the spectral region below the band edge have their microscopic origin in two-exciton correlations, which are expressed in terms of the effective exciton–exciton and anharmonic exciton–photon interactions. The dependence of the interparticle interactions on the spin states of quasiparticles is behind the polarization dependence of the semiconductor nonlinear optical response. On the example of the system of heavy hole excitons in quantum wells, grown from compounds with the zinc blende type of symmetry, it is demonstrated that the effective exciton–exciton interaction in two-exciton states with nonzero total spin is repulsive, while in zero-spin states it is attractive, which may result in the biexciton formation. The derived Heisenberg equations of motion for the exciton and biexciton operators form the basis for a theoretical study of the coherent four-wave-mixing in GaAs and ZnSe quantum wells. It is readily apparent from the equations that in different polarization configurations the coherent four-wave-mixing is generated by different ingredients of two-exciton Coulomb correlations: in the co-circular configuration, it is the interexciton repulsion, in the cross-linear configuration, the formation of the biexciton and its coupling to excitons, and in the collinear configuration, both of them jointly. The obtained expressions for the time-resolved and frequency-resolved four-wave-mixing signals adequately describe the main characteristics and various details of wave mixing phenomena, including a biexciton signature in the appropriate polarization configurations. Results of the work clarify the microscopic mechanism of the polarization dependence in coherent four-wave-mixing spectroscopy in semiconductor quantum wells.

Spatial breathing of the exciton distribution in ZnSe quantum wells

AbstractWe measured the transport dynamics of excitons in ZnSe quantum wells with help of a time‐resolved nanophotoluminescence setup. Right after picosecond excitation, the excitons move out of the laser spot, but then they reverse the direction of propagation, and finally spread out again. We attribute this “spatial breathing” of the exciton population to acoustic phonon emission, which is a predominantly backward scattering event. This permits us to detect the first inelastic scattering event after the fast excitation generation, causing the end of the coherent transport regime. Using this method, we can determine simultaneously the coherence time and length of excitons in an 8nm well to 29 ps and 800 nm, respectively. We can reproduce the results with help of a Monte‐Carlo simulation of the exciton dynamics in the well. The obtained values for coherence length and time are consistent with other, independent experiments. (© 2004 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Coherence length and time of excitons in ZnSe quantum wells

We investigate the in-plane transport of excitons in quantum wells by nano-photoluminescence. The experimental method is based on a confocal microscope with an enhanced resolution given by the introduction of a solid immersion lens. In combination with pulsed laser excitation and streak-camera detection, we have access to transport phenomena on a timescale faster than the time of scattering with acoustic phonons and a length scale of the light wavelength. We use ZnSe-based quantum wells as a model system since hot excitons with well defined excess energy can be formed assisted by the emission of optical phonons. This results e.g. in a periodic quenching of the excitonic transport length as function of excitation excess energy which, in comparison, is not found in GaAs quantum wells. Monte Carlo simulations of the nonlinear expansion of the luminescence spot observed as a function of time reveal the difference between the spatial profiles of the luminescence and the exciton density. The latter shows an oscillatory behaviour in time due to the dominant backscattering, when the first acoustic phonon is emitted. From this oscillation we can determine simultaneously the coherence time and length of the excitonic transport in ZnSe quantum wells. (© 2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Simultaneous optical coherent control of excitonic and biexcitonic polarization in a ZnSe quantum well

The optical coherent-control technique is used to study biexcitonic effects in the four-wave-mixing signal of a ZnSe single quantum well. The signal is analyzed in both directions 2k1 − k2 and 2k2 − k1 which are not equivalent if a pulse pair is applied from direction k1 to achieve coherent control of the induced polarization. It is shown that the coherent control enables a selective enhancement or suppression of the contribution at the exciton and biexciton resonance to the signal, respectively, but only for certain sequences of the excitation pulses. Further, the suppression of exciton-biexciton beats in the signal as a function of tdel by a selective destruction of the biexciton polarization is demonstrated.

Influence of higher Coulomb correlations on optical coherent-control signals from a ZnSe quantum well

The manipulation of the coherent optical polarization in a quantum well with a pair of phase-locked laser pulses is investigated by using wave-mixing signals. The measurements are performed in four- and six-wave-mixing geometries with different polarization states of the excitation pulses. Even at moderate excitation densities, the signals are modulated by higher harmonics that correspond to high-order optical nonlinearities. A significant effect of higher Coulomb correlations on the coherent-control signals is demonstrated by comparing the experiments with calculations based on a microscopic density-matrix theory. The theoretical approach makes use of the dynamics-controlled truncation scheme. The corresponding numerical results are in good agreement with the experiment.

Non‐classical excitonic transport in quantum wells

AbstractWe report investigations on excitonic transport in ZnSe quantum wells using far‐field nano‐photoluminescence enhanced by a solid immersion lens. The 250‐nm spatial resolution and 5‐ps temporal resolution allow the access to non‐classical transport regimes. From zero‐phonon‐line spectroscopy we deduce the spatial distribution of the PL intensity under different cw excitation condition and its temporal evolution after a pulsed excitation, respectively. The periodic quenching of the transport length as function of excitation excess energy and the nonlinear expansion of the PL spot observed in time‐resolved experiments reveal the dominance of hot‐exciton effects. The experimental data are well modelled by a Monte Carlo simulation. Spatially resolved phonon‐sideband spectroscopy is used to observe directly the coherent transport and the energy relaxation of hot excitons during transport. The coherence length is measured to be 300–400 nm at low temperatures and the excitons are found to remain hot during transport on a length scale of several micrometers.

Energy renormalization and binding energy of the biexciton

We deduce the energy renormalization of the biexciton resonance in ZnSe quantum wells from polarization and intensity dependent pump-probe spectroscopy in the coherent regime. We confirm that the biexciton renormalization is exactly what one would expect from a compound particle of two excitons in opposite circular polarization states. Since the biexciton binding is measured with respect to the exciton resonance one has to consider the renormalization of the latter resonance as well. We present an exact method to determine the real biexciton binding energy using the low-excitation extrapolation of the exciton-to-biexciton transition energy.

Spatiotemporal dynamics of quantum-well excitons

We investigate the lateral transport of excitons in ZnSe quantum wells by using time-resolved micro-photoluminescence enhanced by the introduction of a solid immersion lens. The spatial and temporal resolutions are 200 nm and 5 ps, respectively. Strong deviation from classical diffusion is observed up to 400 ps. This feature is attributed to the hot-exciton effects, consistent with previous experiments under cw excitation. The coupled transport-relaxation process of hot excitons is modelled by Monte Carlo simulation. We prove that two basic assumptions typically accepted in photoluminescence investigations on excitonic transport, namely (i) the classical diffusion model as well as (ii) the equivalence between the temporal and spatial evolution of the exciton population and of the measured photoluminescence, are not valid for low-temperature experiments.

Laser action of trions in a semiconductor quantum well.

We report on the observation of optical gain and lasing at the trion transition of n-doped ZnSe quantum wells. Specifically, the (stimulated) emission-absorption net rate of this transition is controlled by the difference of trion and electron occupation in momentum space. As the mass of the trion is larger than that of the electron, gain occurs on the low-energy side of the line center without degeneracy and inversion in the total particle numbers. The scenario is reminiscent of a three-level system. At higher injection levels, carrier heating sets on and limits the available gain to values of about 10(4) cm(-1).

Energy relaxation during hot-exciton transport in quantum wells: Direct observation by spatially resolved phonon-sideband spectroscopy

We investigate the energy relaxation of excitons during the real-space transport in ZnSe quantum wells by using microphotoluminescence with spatial resolution enhanced by a solid immersion lens. The spatial evolution of the LO-phonon sideband, originating from the LO-phonon assisted recombination of hot excitons, is measured directly. By calculating the LO-phonon assisted recombination probability, we obtain the nonthermal energy distribution of excitons and observe directly the energy relaxation of hot excitons during their transport. We find the excitons remain hot during their transport on a length scale of several micrometers. Thus, the excitonic transport on this scale cannot be described by classical diffusion.

Ultrafast pump–probe dynamics in ZnSe-based semiconductor quantum wells

Pump–probe experiments are used as a controllable way to investigate the properties of photoexcited semiconductors, in particular, the absorption saturation. We present an experiment–theory comparison for ZnSe quantum wells, investigating the energy renormalization and bleaching of the excitonic resonances. Experiments were performed with spin-selective excitation and above-bandgap pumping. The model, based on the semiconductor Bloch equations in the screened Hartree–Fock approximation, takes various scattering processes into account phenomenologically. Comparing numerical results with available experimental data, we explain the experimental results and find that the electron spin-flip occurs on a time scale of 30 ps.

Coherence length of excitons in a semiconductor quantum well.

We report on the first experimental determination of the coherence length of excitons in semiconductors using the combination of spatially resolved photoluminescence with phonon sideband spectroscopy. The coherence length of excitons in ZnSe quantum wells is determined to be 300-400 nm, about 25-30 times the exciton de Broglie wavelength. With increasing exciton kinetic energy, the coherence length decreases slowly. The discrepancy between the coherence lengths measured and calculated by considering only the acoustic-phonon scattering suggests an important influence of static disorder.

Biexciton Binding Energy in ZnSe Quantum Wells and Quantum Wires

The biexciton binding energy EXX is investigated in ZnSe/ZnMgSe quantum wells and quantum wires as a function of the lateral confinement by transient four-wave mixing. In the quantum wells one observes for decreasing well width a significant increase in the relative binding energy, saturating for well widths less than 8 nm. In the quantum wires an increase of 30% is found in the smallest quantum wire structures compared to the corresponding quantum well value. A simple analytical model taking into account the quantum confinement in these low-dimensional systems is used to explain the experimentally observed dependence of the biexciton binding energies.

Phonon-assisted relaxation kinetics of statistically degenerate excitons in high-quality quantum wells

Acoustic-phonon-assisted thermalization kinetics of excitons in quantum wells (QWs) is developed for small concentrations of particles, $\rho_{\rm 2D} \lesssim 10^9$ cm$^{-1}$, when particle-particle interaction can be neglected while Bose-Einstein statistics already strongly influences the relaxation processes at low temperatures. In this case thermalization of QW excitons occurs through nonequilibrium states and is given by the following scenario. During the first transient stage, which lasts a few characteristic scattering times, the correlations with an initial distribution of QW excitons disappear. The next, adiabatic stage of thermalization usually takes many characteristic scattering times, depends only upon two control parameters, the lattice temperature $T_b$ and the degeneracy temperature $T_0 \propto \rho_{\rm 2D}$, and is characterized by a quasi-equilibrated distribution of high-energy QW excitons with effective temperature $T(t)$. We show that the thermalization law of high-energy particles is given by $\delta T(t) = T(t) - T_b \propto e^{-\lambda_0 t}/t$, where $\lambda_0$ is a marginal value of the continuous eigenvalue spectrum of the linearized kinetics. By analyzing the linearized phonon-assisted kinetics of statistically-degenerate QW excitons, we study the dependence $\lambda_0 =\lambda_0(T_b,T_0)$. Our numerical estimates refer to high quality GaAs and ZnSe QWs. Finally, we propose a special design of GaAs-based microcavities, which considerably weakens the bottleneck effect in relaxation of excitons (polaritons) and allows us to optimize the acoustic-phonon-assisted thermalization processes.