Time-resolved polarized photoluminescence spectroscopy of confined donors in GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs quantum wells

We report on the recombination dynamics of band edge photoluminescence (PL) in GaAs/Al_xGa_1-xAs multiple quantum wells which have been selectively doped with Si donors at a variety of positions across the well. We observe PL lines associated with the ground state n = 1 light and heavy hole exciton transitions, as well as several bound exciton states and a donor-to-continuum transition which occur below the dominant heavy hole excitons. The recombination lifetime of the donor-to-continuum (Si(c) → VB) transition is significantly longer than that measured for the excitonic transitions. The Si(c) → VB transition is 20 times longer than the lifetime of the hhX. This result clearly suggests that this line is not an exciton-related transition and may be consistent with what is expected for a localized donor-to-continuum transition. Measurements of the lifetime as a function of temperature and a measure of the recombination dynamics as a function of magnetic field support this conclusion.