Abstract

The optical and electronic properties of semiconductor heterostructures are sensitive to the dynamics of electronic excitations. Disorder due to nonideal growth conditions can determine, in part, the nature of the dynamic processes present. An example of this is observed in the low temperature relaxation of excitons in multiple quantum wells (MQW) where carrier localization, arising due to the presence of disordered interfaces [1], introduces entirely new relaxation mechanisms [2]. We use resonant picosecond four wave mixing (FWM) and transient absorption to probe the disorder induced effects near the bandedge of GaAs/AlGaAs MQWs.

© 1992 The Author(s)