abstract

• We report a reflectance difference spectroscopy (RDS) study of the optical anisotropy of GaAs:(001) surface quantum wells consisting of a thin GaAs layer (3–30 nm thick) embedded between an arsenic reconstructed surface and an AlAs barrier. The RDS spectra display anisotropic contributions from the free surface and from the GaAs/AlAs interface. By comparing RDS spectra for the (formula presented) and (formula presented) surface reconstructions, we separate these two contributions, and demonstrate that the anisotropy around the (formula presented) and (formula presented) transitions comprises a component originating from modifications of bulk states near the surface. The latter is attributed to anisotropic strains induced by the surface reconstruction. The experimental data are well described by a model for the RDS response of the multilayer structures, which also takes into account the blue energy shifts and the changes in oscillator strength of the (formula presented) and (formula presented) transitions induced by quantum-well confinement. © 2001 The American Physical Society.

authors

• Cardona M.
• Eberl K.
• Lastras Martínez Luis Felipe
• Rönnow D.
• Santos P.V.

publication date

• 2001-01-01

published in

• Physical Review B - Condensed Matter and Materials Physics  Journal

keywords

• arsenic; gallium arsenide; anisotropy; article; energy; optics; oscillator; quantum mechanics; reflectometry; surface property

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1103/PhysRevB.64.245303

start page

end page

volume

• 64

issue

• 24