TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENCE OF THE MINORITY-CARRIER LIFETIME IN GAAS ALGAAS DOUBLE HETEROSTRUCTURES/

We have studied the photoluminescence decay time in a series of high q uality GaAs/AlGaAs double heterostructure samples, grown by liquid pha se epitaxy, with different p-type doping. We have compared the experim entally observed decay time as a function of temperature from 100 to 7 00 K, with a complete calculation of the radiative recombination rate, including the temperature dependence of the reabsorption factor. We c onclude that the observed decay time is well explained by a dominating radiative recombination up to temperatures of about 500 K. The intern al quantum efficiency is hence close to unity. At higher temperatures we observe a deviation from the expected values for the radiative reco mbination, attributed to a nonradiative recombination channel. (C) 199 5 American Institute of Physics.