Structural and electrooptical characteristics of quantum dots emitting at 1.3 μm on gallium arsenide

We present a comprehensive study of the structural and emission properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots emitting at 1.3 mum. The dots are grown by molecular beam epitaxy on gallium arsenide substrates. Room-temperature emission at 1.3 mum is obtained by embedding the dots in an InGaAs layer. Depending on the growth structure, dot densities of 1-6 x 10(10) cm(-2) are obtained. High dot densities are associated with large inhomogeneous broadenings, while narrow photoluminescence (PL) linewidths are obtained in low-density samples. From time-resolved PL experiments, a long carrier lifetime of approximate to1.8 ns is measured at room temperature, which confirms the excellent structural quality. A fast PL rise (tau (rise) = 10 +/-2 ps) is observed at all temperatures, indicating the potential for high-speed modulation. High-efficiency light-emitting diodes (LEDs) based on these dots are demonstrated, with external quantum efficiency of 1% at room temperature. This corresponds to an estimated 13% radiative efficiency. Electroluminescence spectra under high injection allow us to determine the transition energies of excited states in the dots and bidimensional states in the adjacent InGaAs quantum well.