Photoluminescence of dense arrays of InGaPAs/InGaAs quantum dots formed by substitution of group V elements

One drawback of self-organized quantum dots is their low optical gain. The development of new shaping methods that would allow higher gain, for example, due to a higher surface density of the QD array, remains an important task to date. In the present work, arrays of quantum dots have been formed by substituting phosphorous atoms with arsenic ones in a thin InGaP epilayer. Based on transmission electron microscopy data, the surface density was estimated to be about 1.3 × 1012 cm−2, which is one of the highest values for quantum dots on GaAs. The influence of an additional InGaAs epilayer (quantum well) on the luminescence properties of quantum dots was investigated in a wide temperature range and different optical pumping levels. It was found that placing the quantum well under the layer of quantum dots has little effect on the central emission wavelength, while quantum dots covered with the InGaAs demonstrate a strong red shift of the luminescence spectrum. A transition from a nonequilibrium to an equilibrium distribution of charge carriers over quantum-dot states, related to the lateral transport of charge carriers over quantum dot array, similar to that previously observed in In(Ga)As Stranski-Krastanow quantum dots, was revealed. This is manifested in a change in temperature dependencies of the linewidth and peak position of the photoluminescence band. For the structures under study, this transition occurs at a temperature of about 125 K. Rapid thermal annealing of the structures allows to increase the integrated photoluminescence intensity of quantum dots up to 4 times, while the maximum of the spectrum remains almost unchanged, provided that the annealing temperature does not exceed 620 °C.