We report low-field electroreflectance (ER) spectra of an all-semiconductor multilayer optical mirror structure. The structure, consisting of alternating blocks of AlAs/Al0.5Ga0.5 As and Al0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs multiple quantum well layers, was grown by molecular beam epitaxy without wafer rotation. Thickness variations across the wafer produce a position-dependent reflectance spectrum. The observed line shape of the band-edge exciton depends on its wavelength position relative to the mirror spectrum and cannot be explained by ordinary ER theory, due to the rapidly varying background mirror reflectance. Computer simulations, using the matrix method to calculate the reflectance for different layer thicknesses and exciton energies, agree qualitatively with the data. A strong enhancement in ER response is predicted near the minima in the mirror spectrum. This enhancement is important in electo-optic reflectance modulators.
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Fritz et al. (1989) studied this question.