Determining the electric field in [111] strained-layer quantum wells

Abstract

The electric field in a [111] growth-axis strained-layer quantum well embedded in a p-i-n diode is determined by measuring the polarization vector in the quantum well. The polarization is determined from the critical reverse bias necessary to produce zero electric field in the quantum well. The critical reverse bias is obtained from electroreflectance spectra, which have quantum well optical features that exhibit a 180° phase change at flat band. A depletion model of the p-i-n diode with an embedded quantum well is used to relate the electric field in the quantum well to the applied bias and the polarization vector in the well.