LATERAL SUBBAND TRANSITIONS IN THE LUMINESCENCE SPECTRA OF A ONE-DIMENSIONAL ELECTRON-HOLE PLASMA IN IN0.53GA0.47AS INP QUANTUM WIRES/

In0.53Ga0.47As/InP quantum wires with widths down to about 10 nm have been investigated by high-excitation luminescence spectroscopy. The on e-dimensional electron-hole plasma spectra of quantum wires with width s between 50 and 30 nm exhibit shoulders on the high-energy edge of th e emission. With decreasing quantum-wire widths the shoulders shift co nsistently to higher energy. The low- and high-energy features are ide ntified by model calculations with the first, second, and third latera l-subband transitions in the structures. A simple model based on a squ are-well confinement by the semiconductor vacuum interface and the mea sured widths of the structures is in quantitative agreement with the e xperimental data.