Near-field low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy of single V-shaped quantum wires

We report on a near-field spectroscopic study of single V-shaped InxGa1-xAs /GaAs quantum wires. With subwavelength resolution, the emission from singl e InxGa1-xAs wires and connecting planar quantum wells-separated by 250 nm- are individually resolved. The contributions of both monolayer height fluct uations on a 100 nm length scale and of short range compositional disorder to the localization of excitons in V-shaped quantum wires are separately id entified and their implications for far-field PL spectra discussed. An uppe r limit for the migration length of the photogenerated excitons within the GaAs barrier layers of 250 nm is determined. [S0163-1829(99)01740-3].