Time-resolved photoluminescence studies of cross-well transport in a biased GaAs/AlGaAs multiple quantum well p-i-n structure

Abstract

Time-resolved photoluminescence has been used to study the cross-well carrier dynamics in a biased multiple quantum well p-i-n structure at temperatures in the range 5–350 K and for electric fields <200 kV cm−1. The photoluminescence decays have been parameterized using reconvolution analysis with a coupled rate equation model and this has provided strong evidence for the successive recapturing of carriers in adjacent wells. For temperatures <100 K, and for electric fields <60 kV cm−1, the carrier escape appears to be strongly affected by resonant tunneling between hole subbands in adjacent wells. At higher temperatures an increase in the carrier escape rate is observed which corresponds to a field dependent thermal activation energy.