Photoluminescence studies in strained InAs/InP quantum wells grown by hydride vapour-phase epitaxy

Strained InAs/InP single quantum wells grown by hydride vapour phase epitaxy have been investigated by photoluminescence. The evolution of the spectra when the temperature is varied above 5 K is analysed in particular. At temperatures larger than approximately 150 K, a signal is generally detected at an energy higher than that of the heavy exciton (e₁hh₁) peak which is still observed. It is interpreted as being due to the recombination of conduction band electrons in the InP barriers with heavy holes in the InAs well (e_chh₁). A value of 0.48+or-0.02 eV is determined for the strained valence band offset from the fit of a simple single-band model to both the e₁hh₁ and e_chh₁ transition energies.