Dipolar Biexcitons in Lateral Traps in Si/SiGe/Si Heterostructures

Abstract

Si/Si_1–xGe_x/Si heterostructures with large-scale (micrometer-size) lateral potential fluctuations at the upper SiGe/Si-cap heterointerface are grown. These potential fluctuations are caused by partial strain relaxation in the SiGe layer. Low-temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra show that these fluctuations form lateral traps where photoexcited nonequilibrium charge carriers are accumulated and bind into dipolar excitons, which ultimately recombine. At temperatures below 6 K, a new narrow line with a width considerably less than that of the dipolar exciton PL line emerges in the spectra as the level of excitation increases. It is shown that this line is associated with the recombination of dipolar biexcitons in large-scale traps.