We have grown (\mathrm{ZnSe} / \mathrm{ZnS}) superlattices using low pressure MOVPE. The superlattices were grown onto a relaxed (\mathrm{ZnSe}) buffer and were constituted of 45 periods. The well and barrier thicknesses were chosen from the calculation of critical thicknesses for coherent and free standing situations. Following this analysis we have grown samples with individual (\mathrm{ZnSe}, \mathrm{ZnS}) thicknesses of 3 to 9 monolayers.
The optical properties of the samples were studied using photoluminescence, photoreflectance and reflectivity experiments. The results of the photoluminescence and photoreflectance experiments are consistent with a free standing model of the strain state, and a typical sketch of potential profile, describing the band structure of such superlattices is proposed. The photoluminescence linewidth is analyzed in terms of interface roughness. The asymmetry of the photoluminescence peaks is modelled using a density of state with a low energy exponential tail, due to the competition between radiative recombination and non-radiative recombination mechanisms. In some samples of lower crystalline quality, bound excitons were observed in the near band edge photoluminescence, which we attribute to impurity interdiffusion, which is favoured by crystalline defects.