Electric field dependent exciton energy and photoluminescence quenching in GaInAs/InP quantum wells.

We report the observation of electric field induced exciton energy shifts and photoluminescence quenching in GaInAs/InP multiple quantum wells. We have measured both the photocurrent and photoluminescence spectra from 100 Å wells contained with p+- and n+-InP layers in a conventional p-i-n structure; reverse bias voltages of up to 12 V were applied. The exciton peaks in the photocurrent spectrum are seen to broaden and shift to lower energy; the photoluminescence peak, which is due to n=1 excitonic and free-carrier recombination, also shifts to lower energy and is completely quenched at high voltages. These results are similar to those reported previously for GaAs quantum wells and ascribed to the quantum-confined Stark effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]