Carrier Recombination in Highly Uniform and Phase-Pure GaAs/(Al,Ga)As Core/Shell Nanowire Arrays on Si(111): Implications for Light-Emitting Devices

GaAs-based nanowires are among the most promising candidates for realizing a monolithic integration of III–V optoelectronics on the Si platform. To realize their full potential for applications as light absorbers and emitters, it is crucial to understand their interaction with light governing the absorption and extraction efficiency as well as the carrier recombination dynamics determining the radiative efficiency. Here, we study the spontaneous emission of zincblende GaAs/(Al,Ga)As core/shell nanowire arrays by μ-photoluminescence spectroscopy. These ordered arrays are synthesized on patterned Si(111) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy and exhibit an exceptionally low degree of polytypism for interwire separations exceeding a critical value. We record emission spectra over more than five orders of excitation density for both steady-state and pulsed excitation to identify the nature of the recombination channels. An abrupt Mott transition from excitonic to electron–hole plasma recombination is observed, and the corresponding Mott density is derived. Combining these experiments with simulations and additional direct measurements of the external quantum efficiency using a perfect diffuse reflector as a reference, we are able to extract the internal quantum efficiency as a function of carrier density and temperature, as well as the extraction efficiency of the nanowire array. The results vividly document the high potential of GaAs/(Al,Ga)As core/shell nanowires for efficient light emitters integrated on the Si platform. Furthermore, the methodology established in this work can be applied to nanowires of other materials systems of interest for optoelectronic applications.