Alterable temperature-dependent wavelength shifts in (InP)(2)/(GaP)(2) quantum wells

Abstract

Alterable temperature-dependent emission wavelength shifts were observed from (InP)(2)/(GaP)(2) short-period superlattices (SPSs) quantum wells grown with different interruption periods. Photoluminescence spectra showed that the peak energy of the SPS samples is inversely proportional to the interruption time conducted between the two consecutive binary growth sequences in the SPS regions. It is believed that a lateral composition modulation occurred during the interruption period which resulted in periodic In-rich and Ga-rich regions in the SPS quantum wells along the growth plane. With the lateral compositional variation, temperature variation can induce a multiaxial strain effect which can either amplify or reduce the temperature-dependent wavelength shift of the SPS quantum wells with different interruption periods. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.