RADIATIVE LIFETIMES, QUASI-FERMI-LEVELS, AND CARRIER DENSITIES IN GAAS-(GA,AL)AS QUANTUM-WELL PHOTOLUMINESCENCE UNDER STEADY-STATE EXCITATION CONDITIONS

A quantum-mechanical calculation of the carrier densities, electron an d hole quasi-Fermi-levels and various radiative decay times in GaAs-(G a,Al)As quantum wells is performed, under steady-state excitation cond itions, as functions of the cw laser intensity, temperature, well widt hs, and acceptor distribution in the well. We consider the radiative r ecombination of electrons with flee holes and with holes bound at neut ral accepters. Our calculations-which have no free parameters-are in q uantitative agreement in the intermediate laser-intensity regime at T = 300 K with the results by Ding et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 60, 2051 (1 992)], who obtained the carrier density for multiple asymmetric couple d quantum wells through a fitting procedure that reproduced the total experimental photoluminescence intensity. Results for the carrier-depe ndent e-h recombination decay time are in good agreement with experime ntal tal data by Bongiovanni and Staehli [Phys. Rev. B 46, 9861 (1992) ].