OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF FRACTAL QUANTUM-WELLS

We report the growth of new fractal quantum-well structures and the first studies of their optical properties. In these (Al,Ga)As structures the composition is varied in a fractal sequence between layers to create a highly branched, self-similar distribution of quantum wells. Experimentally, we studied optical absorption, luminescence and excitation spectra, and electron-hole recombination dynamics. We computed the electron and hole wave functions and transition energies and found good agreement with experiment. The optical and transport properties are strikingly different from those in single or periodic quantum wells. First, the band-edge absorption slope (change in optical density per unit energy) can be controlled over wide limits simply by modifying the sequence. Second, the transport of carriers across the quantum-well layers can be adjusted to control the carrier relaxation rate and energy distribution within the quantum wells. These results suggest possible applications of these new materials for several new devices including broadband emitters, solar cells, electro-optical, and nonlinear optical devices.