Temperature-dependent photoluminescence of highly strained InGaAsN/GaAs quantum wells (A = 1.28-1.45 μm) with GaAsP strain-compensated layers

The effects of nitrogen incorporation into the In_0.4Ga _0.6As_1-xN_x/GaAs single quantum wells (SQWs), where x = 0.5 and 2%, grown on GaAs substrates by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) were investigated using photoluminescence (PL) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The evolution of the excitation-dependent PL and PL-peak position with temperature between 10 and 300 K shows that quantum-dot-like states occurred at that high nitrogen incorporation (x = 2%) and were confirmed by an HRTEM image which showed small dark regions about 2-3 nm in size was found in the interface of In _0.4Ga_0.6As_0.98N_0.02 and GaAs. Our investigations indicate that high nitrogen incorporation into the In _0.4Ga_0.6As_1-xN_x/GaAs system influenced carrier localization and might cause the formation of the dot-like states.