Temperature-dependent modulated reflectance and photoluminescence of InAs–GaAs and InAs–InGaAs–GaAs quantum dot heterostructures

Optical transitions and electronic properties of epitaxial InAs quantum dots (QDs) grown with and without InGaAs strain-relieving capping layer within GaAs/AlAs quantum well (QW) are investigated. Modulated reflectance and photoluminescence spectroscopy is used to probe the QD- and QW-related interband optical transitions over the temperature range of 3–300 K. The observed spectral features in QDs are identified using numerical calculations in a framework of 8-band k· p method. It is found that covering the dots by a 5 nm-thick InGaAs layer yields the energy red-shift of ground-state transition by ∼150 meV . Moreover, the analysis of interband transition energy dependence on temperature using Varshni expression shows that material composition of InAs QDs significantly changes due to Ga/In interdiffusion. A comparison of emission- and absorption-type spectroscopy applied for InAs–GaAs QDs indicates a Stokes shift of ∼0.02 meV above 150 K temperature.