Effects of disorder on the optical properties of deep UV quantum well emitters as assessed by photonic atom probe

S S. Ndiaye (University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,) E E. Coccato (University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,) N N. Al Helou (University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,) S S. Kumar Gautam (University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,) J J. Cañas (University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,) A A. Jannaud (University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,) S S. Cuesta (University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,) J J. Houard (University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,) A A. Grenier (University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,) N N. Rochat (University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,) E E. Monroy (University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,) L L. Rigutti (University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,)

Abstract

The Photonic Atom Probe, a technique allowing the simultaneous, in situ acquisition of photoluminescence within a tomographic atom probe, is applied to the study of AlGaN quantum wells within deep-UV (DUV) separate confinement heterostructures. The analyzed sample exhibits a high degree of compositional and morphological disorder, translating into spatial inhomogeneities and a significant dispersion of photoluminescence emission energy. We show how the proposed in situ correlative microscopy approach can explain different optical emission features in these structures, particularly the distinction between the optical signatures of non-defective quantum well (QW) and QWs located within defective regions. The results, including time-resolved photoluminescence, are interpreted through eight-band k.p calculations, which take as an input to the statistical properties extracted from the atom probe tomography composition maps. This links DUV emission heterogeneity to nanoscale disorder within the same analyzed volume, providing insight relevant to improving multi-QW structures.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 128, Issue 9
Published March 02, 2026
ISSN 0003-6951
Publisher American Institute of Physics

Journal Info

Applied Physics Letters

American Institute of Physics

ISSN: 0003-6951 Physical Sciences

Authors (12)

S

S. Ndiaye

University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,

E

E. Coccato

University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,

N

N. Al Helou

University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,

S

S. Kumar Gautam

University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,

J

J. Cañas

University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,

A

A. Jannaud

University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,

S

S. Cuesta

University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,

J

J. Houard

University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,

A

A. Grenier

University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,

N

N. Rochat

University Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI 3 , 38000 Grenoble,

E

E. Monroy

University Grenoble-Alpes, CEA, Grenoble INP, IRIG, PHELIQS 2 , 38000 Grenoble,

L

L. Rigutti

University of Rouen Normandie, INSA Rouen Normandie, CNRS, Groupe de Physique des Matériaux 1 , 76000 Rouen,