Carrier capture and quantum confinement in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wire lasers grown on V-grooved substrates

Carrier capture mechanisms in semiconductor quantum wire (QWR) lasers grown by organometallic chemical vapor deposition on nonplanar substrates were investigated by cathodoluminescence and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Efficient carrier capture into the QWRs via adjacent quantum wells is manifested by a complete transfer of luminescence intensity from the well- to the wire-spectral lines at temperatures above ∼100 K. In addition, higher QWR subbands separated by 19 meV are observed in the PL spectra, in agreement with the calculated subband spacing. The quantum well assisted carrier capture in these wires is important for the efficient room temperature operation of lasers and other optoelectronic devices based on QWRs.