Temperature stabilized 1.55 μm photoluminescence in strained GaxIn1−xAs quantum wire heterostructures

We present two techniques for manipulating the peak photoluminescence wavelength towards ∼1.55 μm, from the usual 1.61 μm, of strained GaxIn1−xAs quantum wire (QWR) heterostructures. The QWR samples have been prepared by the strain-induced lateral-layer ordering process during molecular beam epitaxy utilizing short-period superlattices of (GaAs)m/(InAs)n. The subscripts m and n refer to the number of deposited monolayers of GaAs and InAs, respectively. In the first approach, for some cases of m>n, the QWRs will contain more Ga thereby decreasing the 300 K wavelength towards 1.55 μm provided the strain is not too great. The second approach relies on post-growth annealing to shift the 300 K peak emission. For anneals performed at 650 °C for 3–5 h, 300 K wavelengths from 1.55 to 1.59 μm have been attained. Moreover, all of these samples display a unique behavior of peak PL with respect to temperature. Some samples show no net shift in wavelength over a range of 77–380 K. Other samples have 77 K wavelengths longer than their 300 K wavelengths. It is believed that these structures have the potential to be processed into temperature stabilized Fabry–Pérot lasers emitting at 1.55 μm.