Photoluminescence properties of dense InAs/AlInAs quantum wire arrays

High-density, nanometer-scale InAs quantum wires are observed on InP (1 0 0 ) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The detailed temperature-dependent photo luminescence (PL) properties are studied. The fast redshift of PL peak ener gy and the monotonic decrease of PL linswidth are observed and explained in terms of carrier relaxation effect, resulting from the efficient carrier t ransfer from smaller wires into nearby larger ones in coupled system. For t he superlattice samples, the effect of spacer thickness on the PL propertie s was also investigated. Device applications of these quantum structures ar e very promising, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.