Index of refraction of GaAsAlxGa1−xAs superlattices and multiple quantum wells

✍ Scribed by K.B. Kahen; J.P. Leburton

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1987
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 459 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0749-6036
• DOI: 10.1016/0749-6036(87)90067-x

✦ Synopsis

Recent research of superlattlces

and multiple quantum wells has generated considerable interest in the optical waveguiding properties of these structures for optoelectrontc applications.

As a result we present a theoretical study of the index of refraction of superlattices and determine its variation as a function of frequency and the superlattice parameters, i.e., layer width and AIAs composition, r-reglon exciton and valence-band mixing effects are included in the model.

It is found that these two effects have an important influence on the value of the index of refraction and that superstructure effects rapidly decrease for energies greater than the superlattice potential barriers.

Because of the quasl-two-dimenslonal character of the Fregion excitons, our results indicate that the superlattice index of refraction can vary by % 2Z at the quantized, bound-exciton, transition energies.

Overall, the theoretical results are in good agreement with the experimental data.