Experimental Detection and Control of Trions and Fermi-Edge Singularity in Single-Barrier Ga As / Al As / Ga As Heterostructures Using Photocapacitance Spectroscopy

Abstract

We show how photocapacitance spectra can probe and manipulate two dimensional excitonic complexes and Fermi-edge singularities as a function of applied bias even at a temperature of 100 K. For lower density regimes ( < 1 × 10 11 cm − 2 ) , the appearance of two distinct peaks in the spectra are identified as a signature of coexistence of both excitons and positively charged trions. We find the binding energy of these trions to be approximately 2.0 meV, which matches well with known estimates. For higher density regimes ( > 1 × 10 11 cm − 2 ) , we observe a sharp spectral transition from trions to asymmetrically shaped Fermi-edge singularities in photocapacitance spectra above a particular reverse bias. However, these signatures of indirect excitonic states are absent from photoluminescence spectra. Such dissimilarities clearly point out that different many body physics govern these two spectral measurements. We also argue why such quantum-confined dipoles of spatially indirect trions can have thermodynamically finite probability to survive even around 100 K. Finally, our observations demonstrate that photocapacitance spectroscopy, which was rarely used to detect trions in the past, can also be useful to detect the traces of these spatially indirect excitonic complexes as well as Fermi-edge singularities. This is mainly due to the enhanced sensitivity of these capacitive measurements to “dipolar” changes of excitonic complexes in these heterojunctions. Thus, our studies clearly open up future possibilities for electro-optical modulation and detection of trions and Fermi-edge singularities in several other heterostructures for next-generation optoelectronic applications.