Energy Sublevels in an Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs/Al0.5Ga0.5As Quantum Wire

Abstract

We report the successful fabrication of a V-groove Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs/Al0.5Ga0.5As quantum wire system and the temperature-dependent photoluminescence (PL) measurement. The PL spectra are dominated by four features at 681, 642, 635 and 621 nm attributed to the luminescences from quantum wire, top, vertical and side-wall well regions by micro-PL measurements. By the calculations of the energy structure, discrete states (localized sublevels) in the quantum wire region and continuum states (extended along the side-wall and vertical quantum wells) in side-wall and vertical quantum wells have been obtained in both the conduction and valence bands. The calculated excitation energies explain very well the peak positions and their temperature dependence in the photoluminescence measurements.