Photoluminescence from quantum dots in cubic GaN/InGaN/GaN double heterostructures

Abstract

We have measured photoluminescence spectra of molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown cubic GaN/InxGa1−xN/GaN double heterostructures with x between 0.09 and 0.33. We observe a luminescence peak at about 2.3–2.4 eV which is almost independent of the InGaN layer composition. High-resolution x-ray diffraction measurements revealed a pseudomorphic In-rich phase with x=0.56±0.02 embedded in the InGaN layers. Including strain effects we calculate a gap energy Eg=2.13 eV of this phase. In cubic InGaN, spontaneous polarization and strain-induced piezoelectric fields are negligible. Therefore, the observed difference between the luminescence energy and the gap of the In-rich phase is assumed to be due to the localization of excitons at quantum-dot-like structures with a size of about 15 nm.