The application of hartree approximation in exciton recombination energy for conical InAs/GaAs quantum dots

Under the framework of the Hartree approximation, the ground state exciton binding energy and the interband transition energy are calculated by solving the coupled Schrodinger equations taking into account the coulomb interaction. The self-consistent effective confining potentials are obtained using a fast three-dimensional Fourier transform in every step of the reduced Schrodinger equations. The exciton binding energy increases at first, and then goes through the process of the decline with the increment of the size of conical InAs/GaAs quantum dot. The ground-state exciton oscillator strength becomes larger when the size of the quantum dots increases. It indicates that the radiative lifetime of the exciton will become shorter. The temperature will affect the interband transition energy, but the exciton binding energy is almost temperature-independent.     

Optical properties and carrier dynamics of self-assembled GaN/Al(0.11)Ga(0.89)N quantum dots

GaN quantum dots were grown on an Al(0.11)Ga(0.89)N buffer layer by using flow rate modulation epitaxy. The Stranski-Krastanov growth mode was identified by an atomic force microscopy study. The thickness of the wetting layer is about 7.2 monolayers. The temperature dependent photoluminescence studies showed that at low temperature the localization energy, which accounts for de-trapping of excitons, decreases with the reducing dot size. The decrease in emission efficiency at high temperature is attributed to the activation of carriers from the GaN dot to the nitrogen vacancy (V(N)) state of the Al(0.11)Ga(0.89)N barrier layer. The activation energy decreases with reducing dot size.     

Self-assembling InAs and InP quantum dots for optoelectronic devices

Stranski–Krastanov growth in molecular beam epitaxy allows the preparation of self assembling InAs and InP quantum dots on GaAs and Ga_0.52In_0.48P buffer layers, respectively. InAs dots in GaAs prepared by slow growth rates and low temperature overgrowth provide intense photoluminescence at the technologically important wavelength of 1.3 μm at room temperature. Strain induced vertical alignment, size modification and material interdiffusion for stacked dot layers are studied. A blue shift of the ground state transition energy is observed for the slowly deposited stacked InAs dots. This is ascribed to enhanced strain driven intermixing in vertically aligned islands. For very small densely stacked InP and InAs dots the reduced confinement shift causes a red shift of the ground state emission. The InP quantum dots show intense and narrow photoluminescence at room temperature in the visible red spectral range. First InP/Ga_0.52In_0.48P quantum dot injection lasers are prepared using threefold stacked InP dots. We observe lasing at room temperature in the wavelength range between 690–705 nm depending on the size of the stacked InP dots.     

Topographie und elektrische Eigenschaften von InAs‐Quantenpunkten

Topography and electrical properties of InAs quantum dots Self assembled InAs‐islands were grown on GaAs with molecular beam epitaxy in the Stranski‐Krastanow growth mode. The topography of surface quantum dots was investigated by atomic force (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). While the AFM enables to determine the dot height of ≈ 10 nm the SEM is best suited to study the lateral dimensions of uncapped islands. The latter technique gives a dot diameter of ≈ 30 nm. Although the size distribution of the islands is convoluted in the capacitance measurements on a dot ensemble, it was possible to determine roughly a Coulomb blockade energy of ≈ 20 meV for the ground state and ≈ 10 meV for the first excited dot level. Taking advantage of AFM‐lithography we were able to study electron transport through a single InAs island. Here we got a Coulomb blockade energy of 12 meV when electrons tunnel through the first excited state of the dot.     

Molecular ground hole state of vertically coupled GeSi/Si self-assembled quantum dots

We study the ground state of a hole confined in two vertically coupled GeSi/Si quantum dots as a function of the interdot distance and dot composition within the sp(3) tight-binding approach. Both quantum-mechanical tunneling and inhomogeneous strain distribution are included. For pure Ge dots, the strain is found to have two effects on the hole binding energy: (i)?reduction of the binding energy below the value of the single dot with increasing dot separation and (ii)?molecular bond breaking for intermediate interdot distances and posterior bond restoration at larger distance. Both effects are smeared upon Ge-Si intermixing.     

Optical properties of HgTe colloidal quantum dots

Room temperature photodetection with HgTe colloidal quantum films is reported between 2 and 5 μm for particles of sizes between ~5 and ~12 nm diameter, and photodetection extends to 7 μm at 80 K. The size-tuning of the absorption of HgTe colloidal quantum dots, their optical cross section and the infrared absorption depth of films are measured. The tuning with radius is empirically given by [see formula in text] where R is in nm. The optical cross section of the colloidal dots at 415 nm is approximately proportional to their volume and given by σ(Hg)(415) = 2.6 ± 0.4 10(-17) cm(2)/mercury atom. The size-dependent optical cross section at the band edge ~1.5 10(-15) cm(2) is consistent with the expected oscillator strength of the quantum dots. The absorption depth of HgTe colloidal dot films is short, about 1-2 μm, which is an advantage for thin film devices. These properties agree rather well with the expectation from the k · p model. HgTe colloidal quantum dot thin films show a strong tuning with temperature with a large positive thermal shift between 0.4 and 0.2 meV K(-1), decreasing with decreasing size within the size range studied and this is attributed primarily to electron-phonon effects.     

Calculated optical transitions in a silicon quantum wire modulated by a quantum dot

The photoluminescence lifetimes of Si quantum wires and dots have been previously calculated within a continuum model that takes into account the anisotropy of silicon band structure. Here, we present our calculations on the optical transitions in Si quantum wires modulated by a quantum dot. The geometrical parameters of the buldged wire are appropriate for porous Si and the ground state is localized. The photoluminescence lifetimes are calculated and compared with those of straight wires and dots. The magnitude of the lifetime is sensitive to the structural parameters of the nanostructures. Lifetimes varying from nanoseconds to milliseconds have been obtained. The results of the calculations provide insight to the optical properties of Si nanostructures.     

Calculated optical transitions in a silicon quantum wire modulated by a quantum dot

The photoluminescence lifetimes of Si quantum wires and dots have been previously calculated within a continuum model that takes into account the anisotropy of silicon band structure. Here, we present our calculations on the optical transitions in Si quantum wires modulated by a quantum dot. The geometrical parameters of the buldged wire are appropriate for porous Si and the ground state is localized. The photoluminescence lifetimes are calculated and compared with those of straight wires and dots. The magnitude of the lifetime is sensitive to the structural parameters of the nanostructures. Lifetimes varying from nanoseconds to milliseconds have been obtained. The results of the calculations provide insight to the optical properties of Si nanostructures.     

Interlevel optical transitions and many-body effects in a dense array of Ge/Si quantum dots

We have investigated experimentally the mid-infrared normal-incidence response of holes confined in array of Ge/Si self-assembled quantum dots. The dots have a lateral size of approximately 15 nm and a density of 3×10¹¹ cm⁻². An in-plane polarized absorption in the 70–90 meV energy range is observed and attributed to the transition between the first two states in the dots. As the hole concentration in the dot ground state is increased, the absorption peak shifts to higher energies, its linewidth is reduced, and the lineshape is changed from an asymmetric to symmetric one. We attribute all features to a depolarization-type effect caused by collective interlevel excitations.     

Growth mechanism and properties of InGaN insertions in GaN nanowires

We demonstrate the strong influence of strain on the morphology and In content of InGaN insertions in GaN nanowires, in agreement with theoretical predictions which establish that InGaN island nucleation on GaN nanowires may be energetically favorable, depending on In content and nanowire diameter. EDX analyses reveal In inhomogeneities between the successive dots but also along the growth direction within each dot, which is attributed to compositional pulling. Nanometer-resolved cathodoluminescence on single nanowires allowed us to probe the luminescence of single dots, revealing enhanced luminescence from the high In content top part with respect to the lower In content dot base.     

Phase transition study of superconducting microstructures

The presented results are part of a feasibility study of superheated superconducting microstructure detectors. The microstructures (dots) were fabricated using thin film patterning techniques with diameters ranging from50µm up to500µm and thickness of1µm. We used arrays and single dots to study the dynamics of the superheating and supercooling phase transitions in a magnetic field parallel to the dot surface. The phase transitions were produced by either varying the applied magnetic field strength at a constant temperature or changing the bath temperature at a constant field. Preliminary results on the dynamics of the phase transitions of arrays and single indium dots will be reported.     

Magnetic vortex state stability, reversal and dynamics in restricted geometries

Magnetic vortices are typically the ground states in geometrically confined ferromagnets with small magnetocrystalline anisotropy. In this article I review static and dynamic properties of the magnetic vortex state in small particles with nanoscale thickness and sub-micron and micron lateral sizes (magnetic dots). Magnetic dots made of soft magnetic material shaped as flat circular and elliptic cylinders are considered. Such mesoscopic dots undergo magnetization reversal through successive nucleation, displacement and annihilation of magnetic vortices. The reversal process depends on the stability of different possible zero-field magnetization configurations with respect to the dot geometrical parameters and application of an external magnetic field. The interdot magnetostatic interaction plays an important role in magnetization reversal for dot arrays with a small dot-to-dot distance, leading to decreases in the vortex nucleation and annihilation fields. Magnetic vortices reveal rich, non-trivial dynamical properties due to existance of the vortex core bearing topological charges. The vortex ground state magnetization distribution leads to a considerable modification of the nature of spin excitations in comparison to those in the uniformly magnetized state. A magnetic vortex confined in a magnetically soft ferromagnet with micron-sized lateral dimensions possesses a characteristic dynamic excitation known as a translational mode that corresponds to spiral-like precession of the vortex core around its equilibrium position. The translation motions of coupled vortices are considered. There are, above the vortex translation mode eigenfrequencies, several dynamic magnetization eigenmodes localized outside the vortex core whose frequencies are determined principally by dynamic demagnetizing fields appearing due to restricted dot geometry. The vortex excitation modes are classified as translation modes and radially or azimuthally symmetric spin waves over the vortex ground state. Studying the spin eigenmodes in such systems provides valuable information to relate the particle dynamical response to geometrical parameters. Unresolved problems are identified to attract attention of researchers working in the area of nanomagnetism.     

Intersublevel Spectroscopy on Single InAs-Quantum Dots by Terahertz Near-Field Microscopy

Using scattering-type near-field infrared microscopy in combination with a free-electron laser, intersublevel transitions in buried single InAs quantum dots are investigated. The experiments are performed at room temperature on doped self-assembled quantum dots capped with a 70 nm GaAs layer. Clear near-field contrast of single dots is observed when the photon energy of the incident beam matches intersublevel transition energies, namely the p-d and s-d transition of conduction band electrons confined in the dots. The observed room-temperature line width of 5-8 meV of these resonances in the mid-infrared range is significantly below the inhomogeneously broadened spectral lines of quantum dot ensembles. The experiment highlights the strength of near-field microspectroscopy by demonstrating signals from bound-to-bound transitions of single electrons in a probe volume of the order of (100 nm)(3).     

PbS量子点能级结构的尺寸和配体依赖性及其对异质结电池性能的影响

通过电化学循环伏安测试和吸收光谱测试, 确定了有机配体(油酸)和原子配体(四正丁基碘化铵, TBAI)钝化的不同粒径(2.6~4.5 nm)PbS量子点的导带和价带能级, 并研究了量子点尺寸对PbS/TiO₂异质结电池(空气气氛中制备)性能的影响。结果表明：PbS量子点的能级结构受其粒径大小和表面配体特性的影响。当PbS量子点尺寸从2.6 nm增加至4.5 nm时, 油酸包覆PbS量子点的导带底从-3.67 eV减小到-4.0 eV, 价带顶从-5.19 eV增加到-4.97 eV; 而对于TBAI配体置换的PbS量子点, 其导带底和价带顶则分别从-4.15 eV和-5.61 eV变化至-4.51 eV和-5.46 eV。粒径为3.9 nm的PbS量子点所制备的电池性能最优, 其能量转化效率达到2.32%, 这可归因于其适宜的禁带宽度、结晶质量和良好的PbS/TiO₂界面能级匹配度。     

InAs quantum dots capped by GaAs,In0.4Ga0.6As dots,and In0.2Ga0.8As well

We have fabricated and characterized three types of InAs quantum dots (QDs) with different InxGa1-xAs capping layers. Post-growth atomic force microscopy measurements show that the In0.2Ga0.8As/InAs structure has a smooth surface (dot-in-well structure), whereas the In0.4Ga0.6As/InAs structure revealed large QDs with a density similar to that underneath InAs QDs on GaAs (dot-in-dot). With increasing In mole fraction of the capping layer and increasing In0.4Ga0.6As thickness, the energy position of the room-temperature photoluminescence (PL) peak is red-shifted. The quantum dot-in-dot structure emits stronger room-temperature PL than does the quantum dot-in-well structure. With a spatially distributed strain in the InAs quantum dot, we have solved the three-dimensional Schr?dinger equation by the Green's function theory for the eigenvalues and eigen wave functions. It is concluded that the ground state increases its wave function penetration into the low-barrier InxGa1-xAs capping layer so that its energy position is red-shifted. The reduced PL peak intensity of the dot-in-well (compared with GaAs covered dots) is due to the reduced overlapping between the ground state and the extended states above the GaAs barrier. The overlapping reduction in the dot-in-dot is over compensated for by the reduced relaxation energy (full width at half-maximum), indicating the importance of the sample quality in determining the PL intensity.     

束流密度对Ge/Si量子点溅射生长的影响

采用离子束溅射技术在Si基底上自组织生长了一系列Ge量子点样品,研究了束流密度对Ge/Si量子点的尺寸分布和形貌演变的影响。原子力显微镜测试结果表明,随着束流密度的增加,量子点的面密度持续增大,其尺寸不断减小,量子点的形貌由圆顶形转变为过渡圆顶形。计算直径标准偏差的结果表明,当束流密度为0.86mA/cm2时,量子点的尺寸均匀性最佳。束流密度与沉积速率成正比,影响着表面吸附原子与其它原子相遇而形成晶核的能力。     

Influences of silicon doping in quantum dot layers on optical characteristics of InAs/GaAs quantum dot infrared photodetector

We have investigated the effects of silicon doping concentration within thirty-period self-assembled quantum dot (QD) layers on quantum dot infrared photodetectors (QDIPs). The lens-shaped quantum dots with the dot density of 1 × 10¹¹ cm^− 2 were observed by atomic force microscope (AFM). From the high ratio of photoluminescence (PL) peak intensities from dot layer to that from wetting layer, we have concluded that high dot density caused the short diffusion length for carriers to be easily captured by QDs. Moreover, the Si-doped samples exhibited the multi-state transitions within the quantum dots, which were different to the single level transition of undoped sample. Besides, the dominant PL peaks of Si-doped samples were red-shifted by about 25 meV compared to that of the undoped sample. It should result from the dopant-induced lowest transition state and therefore, the energy difference should be equal to the binding energy of Si in InAs QDs.     

Direct observation of polarons in electron populated quantum dots by resonant Raman scattering

The general problem of the pairing of strongly interacting elementary excitations producing new quasiparticles such as polarons arises in many areas of solid state physics. Recent interest in polaron formation in semiconductor quantum dots has been motivated by the need to understand the physical nature of the carrier relaxation processes and their role in quantum-dot based devices. We report on the direct observation of polarons in InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots populated by few electrons where the polarons are strongly coupled modes of quantum dot phonons and electron intersublevel transitions. The degree of coupling is varied in a systematic way in a set of samples having electron intersublevel spacing changing from larger to smaller than the longitudinal optical phonon energy. The signature of polarons is evidenced clearly by the observation of a large (12-20 meV) anticrossing for both InAs and GaAs-like quantum dot phonons using resonant Raman spectroscopy.     

Enhancing long-range exciton guiding in molecular nanowires by H-aggregation lifetime engineering

Excitonic transitions in organic semiconductors are associated with large oscillator strength that limits the excited-state lifetime and can in turn impede long-range exciton migration. We present perylene-based emissive H-aggregate nanowires where the lowest energy state is only weakly coupled to the ground state, thus dramatically enhancing lifetime. Exciton migration occurs by thermally activated hopping, leading to luminescence quenching on topological wire defects. An atomic force microscope tip can introduce local topological quenchers by distorting the H-aggregate structure, demonstrating long-range exciton migration at room temperature and offering a potential route to writing fluorescent "nanobarcodes" and excitonic circuits.     

The Properties of the Polaron Ground State in a Parabolic Quantum Dot and Ring

The polaron ground state energy is obtained by using variational method of Pekar type on the condition of electric-LO phonon strong coupling in a quantum dot and ring. The relations of the polaron ground state energy on the inner confinement strength, the outer confinement strength, the inner and outer radius of quantum dot and ring are derived.