Determining the electric field in [111] strained-layer quantum wells

• Published in: Applied physics letters 1993-10, Vol.63 (17), p.2369-2371
• Main Authors: TOBER, R. L, BAHDER, T. B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron states and collective excitations in multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic, and nanoscale systems; Electron states and collective excitations in thin films, multilayers, quantum wells, mesoscopic and nanoscale systems; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Iii-v semiconductors; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of specific thin films; Photoluminescence; Physics
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.110478

The electric field in a [111] growth-axis strained-layer quantum well embedded in a p-i-n diode is determined by measuring the polarization vector in the quantum well. The polarization is determined from the critical reverse bias necessary to produce zero electric field in the quantum well. The critical reverse bias is obtained from electroreflectance spectra, which have quantum well optical features that exhibit a 180° phase change at flat band. A depletion model of the p-i-n diode with an embedded quantum well is used to relate the electric field in the quantum well to the applied bias and the polarization vector in the well.