Photoluminescence upconversion in GaInNP/GaAs heterostructures grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy

Properties of photoluminescence (PL) upconversion (PLU) in GaInNP/GaAs heterostructures are studied in detail by employing a number of optical spectroscopies. Based on excitation power dependent and temperature dependent PL measurements, the upconverted PL from GaInNP under optical excitation below its band gap is attributed to radiative transitions involving spatially separated localized electron-hole pairs, which is of a similar origin as the near-band-gap emission detected under optical excitation above the GaInNP band gap. The PLU process is shown to be largely promoted by increasing N content in the GaInNP alloys, due to a N-induced change in the band alignment at the GaInNP/GaAs heterointerface from the type I in the N-free structure to the type II in the samples with N compositions exceeding 0.5%. A possible mechanism for the energy upconversion is discussed in terms of two-step two-photon absorption. The photon recycling effect is shown to be important for the structures with N=1%.