Evidence for a defect level above the conduction band edge of InAs/InAsSb type-II superlattices for applications in efficient infrared photodetectors

We report pressure-dependent photoluminescence (PL) experiments under hydrostatic pressures up to 2.16 GPa on a mid-wave infrared InAs/InAs_0.86Sb_0.14 type-II superlattice (T2SL) structure at different pump laser excitation powers and sample temperatures. The pressure coefficient of the T2SL transition was found to be 93 ± 2 meV·GPa^-1. The integrated PL intensity increases with pressure up to 1.9 GPa then quenches rapidly indicating a pressure induced level crossing with the conduction band states at ∼2 GPa. Analysis of the PL intensity as a function of excitation power at 0, 0.42, 1.87, and 2.16 GPa shows a clear change in the dominant photo-generated carrier recombination mechanism from radiative to defect related. From these data, evidence for a defect level situated at 0.18 ± 0.01 eV above the conduction band edge of InAs at ambient pressure is presented. This assumes a pressure-dependent energy shift of -11 meV·GPa^-1 for the valence band edge and that the defect level is insensitive to pressure, both of which are supported by an Arrhenius activation energy analysis.