Polarization dependence of light emitted from GaAs p-n junctions in quantum wire crystals

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Abstract
Micro p‐n junctions are formed in GaAs nanowhiskers having diameters of about 100 nm by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy. The result of photoluminescence measurement shows that nanowhiskers with p‐n junctions have the same confinement effect as one‐dimensional quantum wires, the average effective width of which is about 30 nm. Infrared light emitted from the whisker as a result of carrier injection is observed at 4.2 and 77 K. The most important feature of this emitted light is the dependence of its intensity on the polarization. The intensity of the emitted light whose polarization is perpendicular to the whisker axis is about 20% less than the intensity of light with parallel polarization when the influence of the electrode structure is eliminated. This value is in agreement with the theoretically predicted value of 25%, confirming that a nanowhisker is a kind of quantum wire.