Fabrication and optical properties of ZnCdSe ZnSe quantum wires with strain-induced lateral confinement

Fabrication and optical investigation of strain-induced quantum wires (QWRs ) for ZnCdSe/ZnSe heterostructures were investigated. To produce an in-plan e lattice modulation on (110) cleaved surface, 20 periods of AlGaInP/GaInP strained layer superlattice was grown on GaAs(001) substrate. Then, the waf er was cleaved in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) chamber, and Zn0.85Cd0.15Se/ZnSe s ingle quantum well (SQW) was successively grown on the cleaved surface of ( 110) plane. As a result, the [001]-oriented AlGaInP/GaInP strained layer su perlattice achieved in-plane strain confinement effect on (110)-oriented Zn 0.85Cd0.15Se/ZnSe SQW. The fabricated sample showed a large red shift (abou t 300 meV) with respect to the Zn0.85Cd0.15Se/ZnSe single quantum well grow n an the cleaved plane without strained layer superlattice on [001] directi on. The ratio of polarized photoluminescence peak intensity parallel to the QWRs to that perpendicular to the QWRs was 2.5. Such a strong in-plane pol arization dependence of photoluminescence from the sample gives a clear evi dence for the carrier confinement to the QWRs.