@inproceedings{fa6e50e15acb462399299830d3d9cdca,
title = "Long lived metastable states in novel GaAlAs heterostructures",
abstract = "A staggered alignment configuration is produced for a GaAs/AlAs heterostructure when the GaAs layer is sufficiently thin so that confinement raises the lowest Γ-derived state energy above the AlAs X-derived conduction state. Electrons quickly transfer to the AlAs layer, while holes are trapped in the GaAs heavy hole valence band. Recombination of the separated carriers is inhibited by both the reduced spatial overlap of the wave functions and momentum conservation requirements. Enhanced lifetimes for this indirect interwell decay relative to the normally observed intrawell or direct radiation result. A further extension of these lifetimes by inserting an AlGaAs spacer layer between the active GaAs and AlAs layers is reported. The AlGaAs electronic bands act as a barrier for both the holes in the GaAs and the conduction band electrons in the AlAs. The principal effect is localizing the carriers to further separated layers, reducing the spatial overlap while leaving undisturbed the k-space recombination. The effect on the excited state type II lifetime is shown. It is anticipated that several optical devices can be produced from these structures.",
author = "Spitzer, {R. C.} and Bonner, {C. E.} and L. Pfeiffer and Glass, {Alastair M.} and Wilson, {B. A.}",
year = "1989",
language = "English (US)",
isbn = "1557520860",
series = "CONFERENCE ON LASERS AND ELECTRO-0PTICS",
publisher = "Publ by IEEE",
pages = "28--29",
editor = "Anon",
booktitle = "CONFERENCE ON LASERS AND ELECTRO-0PTICS",
note = "Summaries of Papers Presented at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics ; Conference date: 24-04-1989 Through 28-04-1989",
}