Interface-induced phenomena in type II antimonide-arsenide heterostructures

Type II antimonide-arsenide based heterostructures have recently received great attention from researchers engaged in the design of mid-infrared optoelectronic devices. Magnetotransport properties of the semimetal channel and the interface electroluminescence were experimentally studied on type II broken-gap GaInAsSb-InAs single heterojunctions grown by LPE with high quality interface. An electron channel with high Hall mobility was, for the first time, observed at the interface of isotype p-GaInAsSb/p-InAs heterojunctions with undoped and slightly doped quaternary layers at low temperatures. A depletion of the electron channel was found to be due to the heavy acceptor doping level of the quaternary layer. The two-dimensional nature of the interface carriers was established by Shubnikov-de Haas oscillation experiments at 1.8-4.2 K under magnetic fields up to 9-14 T. Intensive interface electroluminescence in the structures under study was observed in the spectral range of 3-4 μm at low temperatures (4.2-77 K). A model of the recombination transition at the type II broken-gap interface was proposed and experimentally confirmed. A new physical approach to the design of mid-infrared tunnelling-injection lasers is demonstrated