Room-temperature 3.9–4.3 μm photoluminescence from InSb submonolayers grown by molecular beam epitaxy in an InAs matrix

Abstract

We report on molecular beam epitaxial growth of InSb submonolayer insertions in an InAs matrix, exhibiting intense mid-IR photoluminescence (PL) up to room temperature (RT). The InSb insertions are fabricated by an exposure of InAs surface to an antimony Sb4 flux. The nominal thickness of insertions grown at different temperatures (TS=400–485°C) ranges from 0.6 to 1.4 monolayer, as estimated from x-ray diffraction measurements of InSb∕InAs multiple submonolayer structures. This gives rise to the variation of the emission wavelength within the 3.9–4.3 μm range at RT. An integral PL intensity drop from 77 K to RT does not exceed 20 times.

High-density InSb-based quantum dots emitting in the mid-infrared

“…Despite all these advantages, the growth of such nanostructures has not progressed as for other material systems. Few papers in the literature report on different material combinations involving In(Ga)Sb QDs grown in GaAs [2], GaSb [3][4][5][6], InP [7] or InAs [2,8,9] matrix and they seem to converge on a strong difference between the growth of InSb QDs on As-or on Sb-terminated surfaces. The most interesting results in fact have been recently reported for the InSb/ InAs system where S.V.…”

Surface segregation of Sb atoms during molecular-beam epitaxy of InSb quantum dots in an InAs(Sb) matrix

“…Due to the large ($7%) lattice mis-match between InSb and InAs, the self-assembled compressively strained InSb-enriched QDs have been shown to form with a mean lateral size of InSb-enriched QDs of $2.5 nm and a sheet density as high as $10 12 cm À2 [5]. These InSb/InAs QD structures demonstrate bright photoluminescence (PL) in the 3.9-4.4 mm spectral range at 300 K [6]. Recently, we have obtained low-temperature lasing from InSb/InAs QD structures under the injection pumping at 3.08 mm [7].…”

Photoluminescence studies of Zeeman effect in type-II InSb/InAs nanostructures

“…In this system the lowest optical transition energy is less than the InAs band gap and may be continuously varied in the range from 3.4 to 4.4 µm (at 80 K) by tuning the insertion width. 9 Another peculiarity of the system is a reduced overlap of the hole and electron wavefunctions that is expected to result in relatively weak oscillator strength of the optical transition and long radiative lifetime. Nevertheless the structures under study with the 1 ML thick InSb insertions demonstrate quite bright PL near 3.83 µm at zero magnetic field and T = 2 K (see Fig.…”