Optical detection of light- and heavy-hole resonant tunneling in p-type resonant tunneling structures

Abstract
Photoluminescence of operational AlAs‐GaAs‐AlAs double‐barrier resonant tunneling structures with p‐type contact layers reveals the charging and subsequent discharging of the hole subbands in the quantum well by sequential resonant tunneling throughout the region of the first three hole resonances. The linewidth of the quantum well luminescence shows free‐carrier broadening at each of the resonances. Accumulation and tunneling of photocreated electrons are also prominent.