Carrier trapping and luminescence polarization in quantum dashes

We study experimentally and theoretically polarization-dependent luminescence from an ensemble of quantum-dot-like nanostructures with a very large in-plane shape anisotropy (quantum dashes). We show that the measured degree of linear polarization of the emitted light increases with the excitation power and changes with temperature in a non-trivial way, depending on the excitation conditions. Using an approximate model based on the k.p theory, we are able to relate this degree of polarization to the amount of light hole admixture in the exciton states which, in turn, depends on the symmetry of the envelope wave function. Agreement between the measured properties and theory is reached under assumption that the ground exciton state in a quantum dash is trapped in a confinement fluctuation within the structure and thus localized in a much smaller volume of much lower asymmetry than the entire nanostructure.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures; considerably extended, additional discussion and new figures include

Energy Transfer Processes in InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Bilayer Structure

We investigate double layer InAs/GaAs quantum dots grown in the Stransky-Krastanov mode by molecular beam epitaxy. The sample consists of two layers of InAs quantum dots separated by 10 nm thick GaAs layer, where the top quantum dot layer of an improved homogeneity is covered by an InGaAs cap. This configuration has allowed for the extension of the dots' emission to longer wavelengths. We probed the carrier transfer between the states confined in a double quantum well composed of InGaAs cap and the quantum dots wetting layer to the states in the quantum dots by means of photoluminescence excitation and photoreflectance spectroscopies. Efficient emission from quantum dots excited at the double quantum well ground state energy was observed. There is also presented a discussion on the carrier injection efficiency from the capping layer to the quantum dots

Hole Subband Mixing and Polarization of Luminescence from Quantum Dashes: A Simple Model

In this paper, we address the problem of luminescence polarization in the case of nanostructures characterized by an in-plane shape asymmetry. We develop a simple semi-qualitative model revealing the mechanism that accounts for the selective polarization properties of such structures. It shows that they are not a straightforward consequence of the geometry but are related to it via valence subband mixing. Our model allows us to predict the degree of polarization dependence on the in-plane dimensions of investigated structures assuming a predominantly heavy hole character of the valence band states, simplifying the shape of confining potential and neglecting the influence of the out-of-plane dimension. The energy dependence modeling reveals the importance of different excited states in subsequent spectral ranges leading to non-monotonic character of the degree of polarization. The modeling results show good agreement with the experimental data for an ensemble of InAs/InP quantum dashes for a set of realistic parameters with the heavy-light hole states separation being the only adjustable one. All characteristic features are reproduced in the framework of the proposed model and their origin can be well explained and understood. We also make some further predictions about the influence of both the internal characteristics of the nanostructures (e.g. height) and the external conditions (excitation power, temperature) on the overall degree of polarization