Determination of Carrier-transfer length from side-wall quantum well to quantum wire by micro-photoluminescence scanning

Micro-photoluminescence (μ-PL) line scanning across a single V-groove, GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire (QWR) has been performed at room temperature, revealing a clear spatial-dependence of the PL. After fitting each PL spectrum by multi-Gaussian line shapes, intensity profiles of each PL component from confined structures have been obtained as functions of the scanning position. The PL quenching of a side-wall quantum well (SQWL) has been recognized in a certain area in the vicinity of the QWR and is interpreted by carrier transfer into the QWR within effective transfer length. By simulating the carrier-transfer process from SQWL to QWR as a convolution of a step function for carrier distribution and a Gaussian function for exciting laser irradiance, the effective transfer length of about 1.8 ± 0.3 μm has, therefore, been concluded.