Quantum wire spectroscopy and epitaxial growth velocities in InGaAs-InP heterostructures

We study excitons bound to quantum wires of InGaAs embedded in an InP matrix, where the wires vary from 2.93A angstrom to a.1172A angstrom (one to four monolayers) thick and from 25A angstrom to 250A angstrom wide. We combine spectroscopic data from measurements of photoluminescence with variational calculations of the binding energies of excitons to the wires to deduce the wire widths and thickness. The widths are then related to the growth times to deduce lateral growth velocities in the vapor levitation epitaxial technique. Monolayer growth rates, at ∼ 80A angstrom/sec, are significantly faster than growth rates for the multilayer wires. (author)