Exciton formation and energy exchange with d-electron states in ZnSe/(Zn,MN)Se multiple quantum wells

Time-resolved photoluminescence at low temperatures has been studied in ZnSe/(Zn,Mn)Se multiple quantum wells and (Zn,Mn)Se thin films, with emphasis on determination of the exciton formation rate and the energy transfer to the Mn-ion d-electron states, the latter contributing to the dominant yellow luminescence in (Zn,Mn)Se. In the quantum well samples which show efficient exciton (blue) emission, the capture of electron-hole pairs to the ZnSe layers on a picosecond timescale is sufficiently rapid to substantially reduce the yellow luminescence.