Electron capture processes in optically excited In0.53Ga0.47As/InP quantum wells

Abstract

We have performed picosecond time-resolved measurements on In0.53Ga0.47As/InP quantum wells with varying barrier thicknesses using 10 ps Nd:YAG excitation. For this excitation, holes and electrons are created in the In0.53Ga0.47As layers. Due to momentum conservation the Nd:YAG excitation accelerates the electrons above the InP barrier where they can diffuse but cannot recombine. By examining the rise time of the quantum well emission, we can show that for samples with thick barriers, the barrier geometry largely controls the dynamic properties of the carriers after Nd:YAG excitation.