Monte Carlo simulation of the exciton hopping in quaternary AlInGaN

Phonon-assisted exciton hopping in quaternary AlInGaN was simulated by using a Monte Carlo procedure. Simulation results based on the conventional model are unable to simultaneously describe the S- and W-shaped temperature dependences of the photoluminescence band peak and line width, respectively. In particular, such simulation yielded a much narrower line than that experimentally observed. To quantitatively describe the “anomalous” temperature behavior of the emission line in the temperature range of 8–150 K, we propose a model based on exciton hopping in isolated In-rich clusters with a random distribution in average localization energy. Our results confirm the formation of In-rich clusters in an AlInGaN alloy with a roughness of the potential profile in the individual clusters of ≈16 meV and their distribution in average localization energy of ≈42 meV. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)