Inter-dot strain field effect on the optoelectronic properties of realistic InP lateral quantum-dot molecules
- Department of Electronic Engineering, University of Rome “Tor Vergata,” Via del Politecnico 1, 00133, Rome (Italy)
- Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico 1 00133 Rome, Italy and INSTM, Unitá di ricerca dell'Universitá di Roma “Tor Vergata,” Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133, Rome (Italy)
- CNR-ISMN, via Salaria Km. 29.300, 00017 Monterotondo, Rome (Italy)
We report on numerical simulations of InP surface lateral quantum-dot molecules on In{sub 0.48}Ga{sub 0.52 }P buffer, using a model strictly derived by experimental results by extrapolation of the molecules shape from atomic force microscopy images. Our study has been inspired by the comparison of a photoluminescence spectrum of a high-density InP surface quantum dot sample with a numerical ensemble average given by a weighted sum of simulated single quantum-dot spectra. A lack of experimental optical response from the smaller dots of the sample is found to be due to strong inter-dot strain fields, which influence the optoelectronic properties of lateral quantum-dot molecules. Continuum electromechanical, k{sup →}·p{sup →} bandstructure, and optical calculations are presented for two different molecules, the first composed of two dots of nearly identical dimensions (homonuclear), the second of two dots with rather different sizes (heteronuclear). We show that in the homonuclear molecule the hydrostatic strain raises a potential barrier for the electrons in the connection zone between the dots, while conversely the holes do not experience any barrier, which considerably increases the coupling. Results for the heteronuclear molecule show instead that its dots do not appear as two separate and distinguishable structures, but as a single large dot, and no optical emission is observed in the range of higher energies where the smaller dot is supposed to emit. We believe that in samples of such a high density the smaller dots result as practically incorporated into bigger molecular structures, an effect strongly enforced by the inter-dot strain fields, and consequently it is not possible to experimentally obtain a separate optical emission from the smaller dots.
- OSTI ID:
- 22413217
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 117, Issue 9; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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