H. Pettersson

Case study of an InAs quantum dot memory: Optical storing and deletion of charge

We have studied self-assembled InAs quantum dots embedded in an InP matrix using photocapacitance and photocurrent spectroscopy. These dots are potentially promising for memories due to the large confinement energy for holes. In this work we have realized simple quantum dot memory by placing the dots in the space–charge region of a Schottky junction. Our measurements reveal that a maximum of about one hole can be stored per dot. We also find that illumination for an extended period deletes the stored charge. We show that these limitations do not reflect the intrinsic properties of the dots, but rather the sample structure in combination with deep traps present in the sample.

Hopping Conduction in Mn Ion-Implanted GaAs Nanowires

We report on temperature-dependent charge transport in heavily doped Mn(+)-implanted GaAs nanowires. The results clearly demonstrate that the transport is governed by temperature-dependent hopping processes, with a crossover between nearest neighbor hopping and Mott variable range hopping at about 180 K. From detailed analysis, we have extracted characteristic hopping energies and corresponding hopping lengths. At low temperatures, a strongly nonlinear conductivity is observed which reflects a modified hopping process driven by the high electric field at large bias.

A Comparative Study of Absorption in Vertically and Laterally Oriented InP Core-Shell Nanowire Photovoltaic Devices.

We have compared the absorption in InP core-shell nanowire p-i-n junctions in lateral and vertical orientation. Arrays of vertical core-shell nanowires with 400 nm pitch and 280 nm diameter, as well as corresponding lateral single core-shell nanowires, were configured as photovoltaic devices. The photovoltaic characteristics of the samples, measured under 1 sun illumination, showed a higher absorption in lateral single nanowires compared to that in individual vertical nanowires, arranged in arrays with 400 nm pitch. Electromagnetic modeling of the structures confirmed the experimental observations and showed that the absorption in a vertical nanowire in an array depends strongly on the array pitch. The modeling demonstrated that, depending on the array pitch, absorption in a vertical nanowire can be lower or higher than that in a lateral nanowire with equal absorption predicted at a pitch of 510 nm for our nanowire geometry. The technology described in this Letter facilitates quantitative comparison of absorption in laterally and vertically oriented core-shell nanowire p-i-n junctions and can aid in the design, optimization, and performance evaluation of nanowire-based core-shell photovoltaic devices.

Magnetic polarons and large negative magnetoresistance in GaAs nanowires implanted with Mn ions.

We report on low-temperature magnetotransport and SQUID measurements on heavily doped Mn-implanted GaAs nanowires. SQUID data recorded at low magnetic fields exhibit clear signs of the onset of a spin-glass phase with a transition temperature of about 16 K. Magnetotransport experiments reveal a corresponding peak in resistance at 16 K and a large negative magnetoresistance, reaching 40% at 1.6 K and 8 T. The negative magnetoresistance decreases at elevated temperatures and vanishes at about 100 K. We interpret our transport data in terms of spin-dependent hopping in a complex magnetic nanowire landscape of magnetic polarons, separated by intermediate regions of Mn impurity spins, forming a paramagnetic/spin-glass phase.

Probing spin accumulation in Ni/Au/Ni single-electron transistors with efficient spin injection and detection electrodes

We have investigated spin accumulation in Ni/Au/Ni single-electron transistors assembled by atomic force microscopy. The fabrication technique is unique in that unconventional hybrid devices can be realized with unprecedented control, including real-time tunable tunnel resistances. A grid of Au disks, 30 nm in diameter and 30 nm thick, is prepared on a SiO2 surface by conventional e-beam writing. Subsequently, 30 nm thick ferromagnetic Ni source, drain, and side-gate electrodes are formed in similar process steps. The width and length of the source and drain electrodes were different to exhibit different coercive switching fields. Tunnel barriers of NiO are realized by sequential Ar and O2 plasma treatment. By use of an atomic force microscope with specially designed software, a single nonmagnetic Au nanodisk is positioned into the 25 nm gap between the source and drain electrodes. The resistance of the device is monitored in real time while the Au disk is manipulated step-by-step with angstrom-level precision. Transport measurements in magnetic field at 1.7 K reveal no clear spin accumulation in the device, which can be attributed to fast spin relaxation in the Au disk. From numerical simulations using the rate-equation approach of orthodox Coulomb blockade theory, we can put an upper bound of a few nanoseconds on the spin-relaxation time for electrons in the Au disk. To confirm the magnetic switching characteristics and spin injection efficiency of the Ni electrodes, we fabricated a test structure consisting of a Ni/NiO/Ni magnetic tunnel junction with asymmetric dimensions of the electrodes similar to those of the single-electron transistors. Magnetoresistance measurements on the test device exhibited clear signs of magnetic reversal and a maximum tunneling magnetoresistance of 10%, from which we deduced a spin polarization of about 22% in the Ni electrodes.

Interband transitions in inas quantum dots in InP studied by photoconductivity and photoluminescence techniques

We report on a detailed investigation of the interband optics of self-assembled InAs dots embedded in a matrix of InP. In photoconductivity (PC) measurements, we observe optical processes related to the dots and a wetting layer, band-to-band excitation of the InP barrier, as well as to an interesting As-related impurity. In particular, the PC measurements reveal the electronic structure of the dots and strongly suggest that an Auger effect is involved in forming the PC signal. Comparing the PC and photoluminescence (PL) signals, we observe that the fundamental transition is not observed in PC, which we interpret in terms of Pauli blocking due to electrons populating the ground state of the dots. In general, it is demonstrated that the PC technique is in many respects complementary to PL and gives additional insight into the electronic structure of quantum dots.

Epitaxially overgrown, stable W-GaAs Schottky contacts with sizes down to 50 nm

A processing scheme for the fabrication of embedded W-GaAs contacts has been established and the resulting contact characteristics have been evaluated. The main advantage of these contacts is that they are stable during high-temperature epitaxial overgrowth. The fabrication scheme is based on a liftoff process with electron beam evaporation of tungsten and subsequent epitaxial overgrowth using metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. Various methods were used to characterize the buried contacts. First, the structural properties of GaAs surrounding embedded W features, with widths down to 50 nm, were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Measurements of the conductivity in individual, buried wires were performed in order to study the influence of the overgrowth process on the properties of the tungsten. We also evaluated the current-voltage characteristics for macroscopic contacts, which revealed a clear dependence on processing parameters. Optimized processing conditions could thus be established under which limited contact degradation occurred during overgrowth. Finally, we used the overgrowth technique to perform a detailed investigation of the electrical and optical properties of floating-potential embedded nano-Schottky contacts by space-charge spectroscopy.

Nanoscaled ferromagnetic single-electron transistors

We report on a summary of fabricating and characterizing nanoscaled ferromagnetic single-electron transistors (F-SETs). One type of device is assembled with an atomic force microscope. A single 30 nm Au disc, forming the central island of the transistor, is manipulated with Angstrom precision into the gap between plasma oxidized Ni source and drain electrodes which are designed with different geometries to facilitate magnetic moment reversal at different magnetic fields. The tunnel resistances can be tuned in real-time during the device fabrication by re-positioning the Au disc. A second type of device with Co electrodes and a central Au island is fabricated using a high-precision alignment procedure invoked during e-beam writing. Both devices exhibit single-electron transistor characteristics at 4.2 K. From magnetotransport measurements carried out at 1.7 K, we found that it is more efficient to realize spin injection and detection in Co/Au/Co devices fabricated with the second technique. A maximum TMR of about 4% was observed in these devices.