Semiconductor excitons in photonic crystals

• Published in: Physica Status Solidi (b) Vol. 238; no. 3; pp. 439 - 442
• Main Authors: Eichmann, R., Pasenow, B., Meier, T., Stroucken, T., Thomas, P., Koch, S. W.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin WILEY-VCH Verlag 01.08.2003; WILEY‐VCH Verlag; Wiley
• Subjects: 42.70.Qs; 71.35.-y; 71.35.Cc; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Electron states; Exact sciences and technology; Excitons and related phenomena; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Intrinsic properties of excitons; optical absorption spectra; Optical materials; Optics; Photonic bandgap materials; Physics; Gallium arsenides; Inorganic compounds; Quantum wells; Theoretical study; Binary compounds; Coulomb interaction; Energy gap; Excitons; Photonic crystal; Binding energy; Modulation; Interaction potentials; Absorption spectra; III-V semiconductors
• ISSN: 0370-1972; 1521-3951
• DOI: 10.1002/pssb.200303159

Optical properties of a semiconductor quantum well in the vicinity of a two‐dimensional photonic crystal are investigated. Due to the periodic spatial modulation of the dielectric environment the effective Coulomb interaction potential exhibits the periodicity of the photonic crystal. As a consequence, the excitonic binding energy varies periodically by up to 50% depending on the spatial position of the exciton relative to the structured dielectric. The self image charge effects result in a position dependent shift of the single‐particle bandgap such that the spectral position of the absorption spectrum also develops the periodicity of the photonic surrounding.