LOW-TEMPERATURE MICRO-PHOTOLUMINESCENCE USING CONFOCAL MICROSCOPY

We describe an optical setup for low-temperature micro-photoluminescence measurements using confocal microscopy. The spatial resolution of the setup was estimated by observing photoluminescence images of a luminescent line formed in a cleaved face of a quantum-well crystal. A high spatial resolution of 0.55 mu m was obtained at a 457.9 nm excitation wavelength. Measurements of photoluminescence excitation spectra are also possible with a high spatial resolution of less than 1 mu m. As an application of low-temperature micro-photoluminescence measurements, photoluminescence images of a dot array comprising buried quantum wells have been obtained. These images show the distribution due to emissions from single dots with diameters down to 0.3 pm. (C) 1995 American Institute of Physics.