by molecular-beam epitaxy we have grown epitaxial layers of GaAs1–xBix solid solutions with a bismuth content of 0 < x < 0.02. Structural and optical properties of the layers were investigated. We determine the influence of the bismuth flux and substrate temperature on the bismuth incorporation into the growing layers.

Epitaxial layers of Al x Ga 1-x As 1-y Sb y with an aluminum content x~60% and antimony content y~3% were successfully grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at low temperature. A developed system of AsSb nanoinclusions was formed in the semiconductor matrix by subsequent annealing. The extended transparency window of the obtained metamaterial allows us to document the absorption of light near the interband absorption edge of the Al x Ga 1-x As 1-y Sb y semiconductor matrix. Parameters of the observed extinction band allow us to attribute the optical absorption to the plasmon resonance in the system of AsSb nanoinclusions. Keywords: molecular beam epitaxy, x-ray diffraction analysis, transmission electron microscopy, optical properties, plasmon resonance.

We studied an effect of spatial disorder on the optical response of resonant Bragg structures with InGaN quantum wells. Using an experimentally verified model, we calculated a transformation of the optical reflection from the resonant Bragg structures with 60, 100, and 200 quantum wells as a function of the degree of disorder in the system. A critical threshold deviation from the exact periodicity was revealed, which causes a qualitative change of the optical resonance.

Методом молекулярно-лучевой эпитаксии при низкой температуре с использованием прерываний роста успешно выращены эпитаксиальные слои Al x Ga 1-x As 1-y Sb y с содержанием алюминия x~60% и содержанием сурьмы y~3%. Путем последующего отжига в полупроводниковой матрице сформирована развитая система нановключений AsSb. Увеличенное окно прозрачности полученного метаматериала позволило надежно документировать широкую полосу поглощения света вблизи края межзонного поглощения полупроводниковой матрицы Al x Ga 1-x As 1-y Sb y . Параметры наблюдаемой полосы экстинкции позволяют связать такое поглощение света с плазмонным резонансом в системе нановключений AsSb. Ключевые слова: молекулярно-лучевая эпитаксия, рентгенодифракционный анализ, просвечивающая электронная микроскопия, оптические свойства, плазмонный резонанс.

AlGaAsSb and AlGaAs films as thick as 1 μm with Al content as high as 60% were successfully grown by low-temperature (200 °C) MBE. To overcome the well-known problem of growth disruption due to a high aluminum content and a low growth temperature, we applied intermittent growth with the temperature elevation to smooth out the emerging roughness of the growth front. Post-growth annealing of the obtained material allowed us to form a developed system of As or AsSb nanoinclusions, which occupy 0.3–0.6% of the material volume. While the As nanoinclusions are optically inactive, the AsSb nanoinclusions provide a strong optical absorption near the band edge of the semiconductor matrix due to the Fröhlich plasmon resonance. Owing to the wider bandgap of the grown Al0.6Ga0.4As0.97Sb0.03 compound, we have expanded the spectral range available for studying the Fröhlich plasmon resonance. The grown metamaterial represents an optically active medium of which the formation process is completely compatible with the epitaxial growth technology of semiconductors.

by molecular-beam epitaxy we have grown epitaxial layers of GaAs 1– x Bi x solid solutions with a bismuth content of 0 < x < 0 . 02. Structural and optical properties of the layers were investigated. We determine the influence of the bismuth flux and substrate temperature on the bismuth incorporation into the growing layers.

By molecular-beam epitaxy we have grown epitaxial layers of GaAs1-xBix solid solutions with a bismuth content of 0 < x < 0.02. Structural and optical properties of the layers were investigated. We determine the influence of the bismuth flux and substrate temperature on the bismuth incorporation into the growing layers.

We have elucidated the microstructure of Al0.28Ga0.72As0.972Sb0.028 metamaterial containing a developed array of AsSb nanoinclusions. The AlGaAsSb films were grown by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy followed by high-temperature postgrowth thermal treatment. The process resulted in an array of self-organized AsSb nanoinclusions with an average diameter of 15 nm (after annealing at 750 °C), which occupied about 0.003 of the volume of the crystalline AlGaAsSb matrix. The nanoinclusions were found to have an A7-type rhombohedral microstructure and contained a very high concentration of antimony that exceeded 90%, whereas the Sb content in the AlGaAsSb matrix was 2.8 at. %. The strong enrichment of the inclusion with Sb resulted from the local thermodynamic equilibrium between the solid AlGaAsSb matrix and the As0.1Sb0.9 inclusions that became liquid at an annealing temperature of 750 °C. The inclusion-matrix orientation relationship was established to be (003)p || {111}m and [2¯110]p || 〈220〉m, similar to that for pure As precipitates in low-temperature grown GaAs despite a rather large difference in particle lattice constants and the c/a ratio. The increased inclusion-matrix lattice mismatch resulted in the generation of (001) prismatic dislocation loops associated with the inclusions bigger than 8.5 nm in diameter. The Burgers vector of the dislocation was determined as b = amatrix[001]. The established microstructural and compositional features create an opportunity to specify plasmonic resonance conditions in the low-temperature grown AlGaAsSb metamaterial.

We studied the microstructure of Al_0.28Ga_0.72As_0.972Sb_0.028 metamaterials containing a developed array of AsSb nanoinclusions. The AlGaAsSb films were grown by low-temperature molecular-beam epitaxy followed by high-temperature annealing at 750°C. The process resulted in an array of self-organized AsSb nanonclusions with an average diameter of 15 nm. The volume filling factor was about 0.003. Using transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction we showed that the nanoinclusions have A7-type rhombohedral atomic structure with the following orientation in the matrix (0003)_p {111}_m and [-2110]_p 〈220〉_m, where p and m indices indicate the AsSb precipitate and AlGaAsSb matrix, correspondingly. The nanoinclusions appeared to be strongly enriched by antimony (more than 90 atomic %), whereas the Sb content in the AlGaAsSb matrix was 2.8 atomic %. The strong enrichment of the inclusion with Sb resulted from the local thermodynamic equilibrium between the solid AlGaAsSb matrix and AsSb inclusions which became liquid at a formation temperature of 750°C.

The optical reflection in periodic structures based on a semiconductor AlGaAs matrix containing two-dimensional arrays of plasmonic AsSb nanoinclusions was studied. The number of periods was 12 or 24. The spatial period was near 110 nm in both cases. In the experimental optical reflection spectra at normal incidence we observed resonant Bragg diffraction with the main peaks at wavelengths of 757 or 775 nm, depending on the spatial period of the nanostructure. The magnitudes of the resonance peaks reached 19 and 31% for the systems of 12 and 24 AsSb–AlGaAs layers, while the volume fraction of the nanoinclusions was much less than 1%. In the case of light incident at inclined angles, the Bragg-diffraction pattern shifted according to Wulff-Bragg’s law. Numerical calculations of the optical reflection spectra were performed using the transfer-matrix method by taking into account the spatial geometry of the structures and the resonance characteristics of the plasmonic AsSb layers.

The processes of the diffusion blurring of a periodic system of GaAs quantum wells separated by AlGaAs barriers are studied by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The system is grown by molecular-beam epitaxy at a low temperature (200°C) and additionally doped with Sb and P isovalent impurities. Postgrowth annealing at the temperature 750°C for 30 min induces an increase in the energy corresponding to the photoluminescence peak of the e1–hh1 exciton state in quantum wells because of blurring of the epitaxial GaAs/AlGaAs interfaces due to enhanced Al–Ga interdiffusion in the cation sublattice. For the Al concentration profile defined by linear diffusion into quantum wells, the Schrödinger equation for electrons and holes is solved. It is found that the experimentally observed energy position of the photoluminescence peak corresponds to the Al–Ga interdiffusion length 3.4 nm and to the effective diffusion coefficient 6.3 × 10–17 cm2 s–1 at the temperature 750°C. This value is found to be close to the corresponding value for GaAs quantum wells grown at low temperatures without additional doping with Sb and P impurities. From the results obtained in the study, it is possible to conclude that enhanced As–Sb and As–P interdiffusion in the anion sublattice only slightly influences the processes of Al–Ga interdiffusion in the cation sublattice.

Исследовалось оптическое отражение от периодических структур на основе полупроводниковой матрицы AlGaAs, содержащей двумерные массивы плазмонных нановключений AsSb. Число слоев нановключений составляло 12 и 24, номинальный период расположения слоев --- 100 или 110 нм соответственно. В экспериментальных спектрах коэффициента оптического отражения при нормальном падении нами наблюдалась резонансная брэгговская дифракция с главными пиками на длинах волн 757 и 775 нм (1.64 и 1.60 эВ), в зависимости от пространственного периода наноструктуры. Амплитуды резонансных пиков достигали 22 и 31% при числе слоев 12 и 24, при том что объемная доля нановключений была существенно меньше 1%. В случае наклонного падения света картина брэгговской дифракции смещалась в соответствии с законом Вульфа-Брэгга. Методом матриц переноса выполнено численное моделирование экспериментальных данных с учетом пространственной геометрии структуры и резонансных особенностей плазмонных слоев AsSb.

The optical reflection from periodic structures based on a semiconductor AlGaAs matrix containing 2D arrays of plasmonic AsSb nanoinclusions is studied. The number of nanoinclusion layers is 12 or 24, and the nominal spatial periods are 100 or 110 nm, respectively. In the experimental spectra of the optical reflection coefficient at normal incidence, we observe resonant Bragg diffraction with the main peaks at wavelengths of 757 or 775 nm (1.64 or 1.60 eV), depending on the spatial period of the nanostructure. The magnitudes of the resonance peaks reach 22 and 31% for the systems of 12 and 24 AsSb–AlGaAs layers, while the volume fraction of the nanoinclusions is much less than 1%. In the case of light incident at inclined angles, the Bragg-diffraction pattern shifts according to Wulff–Bragg’s law. Numerical simulation of the optical reflection spectra is performed using the transfer-matrix method by taking into account the spatial geometry of the structures and the resonance characteristics of the plasmonic AsSb layers.

Optical extinction in a metal–semiconductor metamaterial based on a AlGaAs matrix, which contains random arrays of AsSb plasmon nanoinclusions, is studied. The metamaterial is grown by molecular beam epitaxy at a low temperature. A system of nanoinclusions of various sizes is formed by annealing at temperatures 400, 500, and 600°C. Investigation of the sample’s microstructure by transmission electron microscopy shows that the average size of nanoinclusions at the used annealing temperatures is 4–7, 5–8, and 6–9 nm, respectively. It is shown experimentally that AsSb nanoparticle arrays in the AlGaAs matrix cause the resonant absorption of light. It is established that the plasmon-resonance parameters found in the metamaterial are almost independent of the sizes of the AsSb nanoinclusions. The plasmon-resonance energy is (1.47 ± 0.01) eV, while its full width at half maximum is (0.19 ± 0.01) eV.

The optical absorption in a metal-semiconductor metamaterial based on the AlGaAs matrix has been investigated. The key feature of this material is the presence of random arrays of metallic AsSb nanoinclusions modifying its dielectric properties. It has been shown that the presence of such arrays in the material leads to resonance absorption of light by surface plasmons in AsSb nanoinclusions in the incident photon energy range from 1.37 to 1.77 eV. The experimental spectrum of the extinction coefficient at an energy of 1.48 eV exhibits a resonance peak with the half-width equal to 0.18 eV. The extinction coefficient for AsSb nanoinclusions in the AlGaAs matrix has been calculated in terms of the Mie theory. The calculated spectrum of the extinction coefficient also includes a resonance peak with the energy and half-width equal to 1.48 and 0.18 eV, respectively. The calculated plasma energy for free-standing nanoinclusions in vacuum is 7.38 eV.

The optical properties of metal-semiconductor metamaterials based on an AlGaAs matrix are studied. The specific feature of these materials is that there are As and AsSb nanoinclusion arrays which modify the dielectric properties of the material. These nanoinclusions are randomly arranged in the medium or form a Bragg structure with a reflectance peak at a wavelength close to 750 nm, corresponding to the transparency region of the matrix. The reflectance spectra are studied for s - and p -polarized light at different angles of incidence. It is shown that (i) As nanoinclusion arrays only slightly influence the optical properties of the medium in the wavelength range 700–900 nm, (ii) chaotic AsSb nanoinclusion arrays cause strong scattering of light, and (iii) the spatial periodicity in the arrangement of AsSb nanoinclusions is responsible for Bragg resonance in the optical reflection.