Photoluminescence excitation measurements on GaAs-Er grown by molecular-beam epitaxy

Using a tunable color center laser, photoluminescence excitation measurements were performed on GaAs:Er grown by molecular-beam epitaxy. These measurements show that only one type of Er(3+)-ion center is responsible for the sharply structured emission band at 1.54 mym. The multiplicity of the zero-phonon lines indicates that this Er(3+)-ion center has lower than cubic symmetry and that the luminescence arises from the intracenter transition 4I13/2-4I15/2 of Er(3+)-ion (4f11). (IAF)