Y. W. Suen

Magnetophotoluminescence properties of Co-doped ZnO nanorods

We present the detailed experimental results of the magnetic and optical properties of cobalt doped ZnO nanorods, especially the temperature and magnetic field dependence of photoluminescence up to 14 T. The Raman measurements indicate that our Co-doped ZnO nanorods have the same lattice constant as crystalline bulk ZnO. Sharp luminescence peaks centered at around 670 nm were observed at low temperature and their intensity decreased with increasing magnetic field. The luminescence peaks were attributed to d-d transitions in the Ligand field from the doped Co ions. We also observed a diamagnetic shift at a temperature of 1.5 K when the magnetic field was scanned from 0 to 14 T. The exciton radius of the Co-doped ZnO nanorods was deduced from the magnetophotoluminescence results.

Self-assembled GaAs antiwires in In0.53Ga0.47As matrix on (100) InP substrates

The growth of GaAs antiwires in the In0.53Ga0.47As matrix on InP substrate has been investigated. The periodic, wire-like structure was obtained when a proper amount of GaAs was deposited. The grown antiwires have a height about 1.2–2.0 nm and a period about 23 nm. Using an In0.53Ga0.47As/In0.52Al0.48As modulation-doped structure, the effect of the GaAs antiwires on the two-dimensional electron gas mobility was investigated. For the sample with antiwires near the two-dimensional channel, a significant anisotropy in low temperature mobility was observed.

Effects of crossed states on photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of InAs quantum dots.

In this report, the influence of the intrinsic transitions between bound-to-delocalized states (crossed states or quasicontinuous density of electron-hole states) on photoluminescence excitation (PLE) spectra of InAs quantum dots (QDs) was investigated. The InAs QDs were different in size, shape, and number of bound states. Results from the PLE spectroscopy at low temperature and under a high magnetic field (up to 14 T) were compared. Our findings show that the profile of the PLE resonances associated with the bound transitions disintegrated and broadened. This was attributed to the coupling of the localized QD excited states to the crossed states and scattering of longitudinal acoustical (LA) phonons. The degree of spectral linewidth broadening was larger for the excited state in smaller QDs because of the higher crossed joint density of states and scattering rate.

Electron delocalization of tensily strained GaAs quantum dots in GaSb matrix

The magneto-optical response of type-II tensily strained GaAs self-assembled quantum dots in GaSb was investigated in magnetic fields up to 14 T. By depositing different GaAs amount, the dot sizes and the corresponding emission energies were varied. We analyzed the carrier wave function extent of different dots using the diamagnetic shift results. It was found that, with the increase in the energy (the reduction in the dot size), the diamagnetic coefficient first rises quickly and then saturates at around 21u2002μeV/T2. Based on a simple calculation model, this unusual tendency is attributed to the electrons gradually spilling out of the quantum dot to the wetting layer as the dots get smaller. This delocalization effect is enhanced in this material system due to the tensile strain relaxation within the dots, which raises the conduction band edge over that in the wetting layer.

Anomalous optical magnetic shift of self-assembled GaSb/GaAs quantum dots

We report the magneto-photoluminescence (PL) measurement results on type-II self-assembled GaSb/GaAs quantum dots with the magnetic field applied in Faraday and Voigt configurations. The emission of the quantum dots exhibited a typical diamagnetic blueshift when the magnetic field was applied in a Faraday configuration. However, when the magnetic field was in the Voigt configuration, an unusual redshift in the emission peak accompanied with a rapid increase of the PL intensity was observed. Guided by numerical calculations, the magnetic field applied in the Voigt configuration is found to provide an additional vertical confinement to electrons, and therefore, substantially enhance the radiative electron-hole recombination. The resulting decrease of the steady-state hole concentration gives rise to the observed anomalous magnetic redshift.

Mobility asymmetry in InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures with InAs quantum wires

Strong asymmetry of electron mobility in InGaAs/InAlAs heterostructures (lattice matched to InP) with the presence of InAs quantum wires was observed. Self-assembled InAs quantum wires, embedded in an InGaAs matrix close to the hetero-interface, has a strong effect in electron conduction in the interface channel. The low temperature mobility for electrons moving parallel to the quantum wires is much higher than that of electrons moving perpendicular to the wires. The asymmetry in mobility is attributed to the difference in scattering cross section of the quantum wires in these two directions.

Low temperature and high magnetic field spectroscopic ellipsometry system

We report on the design and implementation of a spectral ellipsometer at near-infrared wavelength (700-1000 nm) for samples placed in high magnetic fields (up to 14 T) at low temperatures (~4.2 K). The main optical components are integrated in a probe, which can be inserted into a conventional long-neck He dewar and has a very long free-space optical path (~1.8 m×2). A polarizer-sample-(quarter-wave plate)-rotating analyzer configuration was employed. Two dielectric mirrors, one before and one after the sample in the optical path, helped to reflect the light back to the analyzer and a two-axis piezo-driven goniometer under the sample holder was used to control the direction of the reflected light. Functional test results performed on an intrinsic GaAs wafer and analysis on the random error of the system are shown. We obtained both amplitude and phase ellipsometric spectra simultaneously and observed helicity transformation at energies near the GaAs exciton transitions in the phase spectra. Significant shifts of them induced by magnetic fields were observed and fitted with a simple model. This system will allow us to study the collective magneto-optical response of materials and spatial dispersive exciton-polariton related problems in high external magnetic fields at low temperatures.

Fabrication method of high-quality Ge nanocrystals on patterned Si substrates by local melting point control

The local melting point of a Ge thin film can be controlled by a hole-array pattern on the host Si substrate due to the variations in the stress distribution and the surface morphology induced by the pattern. A simple annealing process is developed from this effect to produce Ge NCs with a single-domain-crystal size over 20 nm, confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and Raman spectroscopy, from an electron-gun-evaporated Ge thin film on the patterned Si substrate. The effect of the dimensions of the hole array is also investigated. Photoluminescence observed around 1157xa0nm from some of the samples shows the possibility of improving the infrared emission capability by this proposed method.

Low-frequency noise properties of GaN nanowires

We report the temperature (T) dependance (77K to 300K) of the low‐frequency electric noise of GaN nanowires. Our results show that these GaN nanowires exhibit the 1/f‐like excess noise. A Lorentzian‐like feature is observed embedded in the 1/f noise when the applied bias current is large enough. Our four‐wire measurement results reveal that the characteristic time τL of the Lorentzian‐like noise of the nanowire decreases with T.

Instrumentation of a high-sensitivity microwave vector detection system for low-temperature applications

We present the design and the circuit details of a high-sensitivity microwave vector detection system, which is aiming to study the low-dimensional electron system embedded in the slots of a coplanar waveguide at low temperatures. The coplanar waveguide sample is placed inside a phase-locked loop; the phase change of the sample may cause a corresponding change in the operation frequency, which can be measured precisely. We also employ a double-pulse modulation on the microwave signals, which comprises a fast pulse modulation for gated averaging and a slow pulse modulation for lock-in detection. In measurements on real samples at low temperatures, this system provides much better resolutions in both amplitude and phase than most of the conventional vector analyzers at power levels below −65dBm in the frequency range from 100 MHz to 18 GHz.