Interwell excitons in GaAs multiple quantum wells and superlattices.

The optical properties of multiple quantum wells in the transition from isolated wells to a superlattice are investigated theoretically and experimentally. For superlattices with a miniband width similar to the binding energy of the 2s exciton of the isolated quantum well we find an exciton state energetically between the 1s exciton state and the onset of the miniband absorption. We find this state to be an interwell exciton, with the electron confined to one well and the hole to the neighboring well. The interwell exciton resembles the first Wannier-Stark localized exciton of a biased superlattice. However, the localization in the present ease is mediated by the Coulomb interaction of the electron and hole. The state has considerable oscillator strength and is observed experimentally in linear and nonlinear experiments.