Exciton localization in In x Ga 1Ϫx N was studied. At 2 K, the time-integrated photoluminescence ͑PL͒ spectrum showed a Stokes shift from the absorption shoulder and broadening at the lower photon energy side. Site-selectively excited PL measurements determined the mobility edge. The exciton relaxation processes were studied by use of time-resolved PL spectroscopy. The PL decay time increased with the decrease of the detection-photon energy, indicating the dynamical features of exciton localization. In addition, we observed localized exciton luminescence turned into stimulated emission just below the mobility edge.

Temperature dependence of electroluminescence (EL) spectral intensity of the super-bright green and blue InGaN single-quantum-well (SQW) light-emitting diodes has been studied over a wide temperature range (T=15–300 K) under a weak injection current of 0.1 mA. It is found that when T is slightly decreased to 140 K, the EL intensity efficiently increases, as usually seen due to the improved quantum efficiency. However, with further decrease of T down to 15 K, it drastically decreases due to reduced carrier capture by SQW and trapping by nonradiative recombination centers. This unusual temperature-dependent evolution of the EL intensity shows a striking difference between green and blue SQW diodes owing to the different potential depths of the InGaN well. The importance of efficient carrier capture processes by localized tail states within the SQW is thus pointed out for enhancement of radiative recombination of injected carriers in the presence of the high-density dislocations.

Temperature and injection current dependence of electroluminescence (EL) spectral intensity of the superbright green and blue InGaN single-quantum-well (SQW) light-emitting diodes has been studied over a wide temperature range (T=15−300 K) and as a function of injection current level (0.1–10 mA). It is found that, when temperature is slightly decreased to 140 K, the EL intensity efficiently increases in both cases, as usually seen due to the improved quantum efficiency. However, with further decrease of temperature down to 15 K, unusual reduction of the EL intensity is commonly observed for both of the two diodes. At low temperatures the integrated EL intensity shows a clear trend of saturation with current, accompanying decreases of the EL differential quantum efficiency. We attribute the EL reduction due to trapping of injected carriers by nonradiative recombination centers. Its dependence on temperature and current shows a striking difference between the green and blue SQW diodes. That is, we find that the blue InGaN SQW diode with a smaller In concentration shows more drastic reduction of the EL intensity at lower temperatures and at higher currents than the green one. This unusual evolution of the EL intensity with temperature and current is due to less efficient carrier capturing by SQW. The carrier capture in the green and blue diodes also shows a keen difference owing to the different In content in the InGaN well. These results are analyzed within a context of rate equation model, assuming a finite number of radiative recombination centers. Importance of the efficient carrier capture processes by localized tail states within SQW at 180–300 K is thus pointed out for explaining the observed enhancement of radiative recombination of injected carriers in the presence of high-density misfit dislocations.

We investigated exciton dynamics in In x Ga 1Ϫx N multiple quantum wells at 2 K and room temperature by means of time-resolved photoluminescence and pump-and-probe measurements. Under low excitation density, the temporal change of the spontaneous emission indicated slow dynamical features of the two-dimensional exciton localization, while, above a stimulation threshold density, the decay time of the emission was shortened to be less than ϳ30 ps due to the stimulated emission process. Further, the time-resolved pump-and-probe measurement revealed a fast relaxation of photoexcited delocalized electron-hole (e-h) pairs into localized states. Above stimulation threshold, localized states were saturated, and e-h pairs at delocalized states were observed. Two-dimensional e-h pairs at delocalized states relaxed into localized states and excitons were formed, from which the optical gain was formed in terms of the stimulated emission process. ͓S0163-1829͑99͒13047-9͔

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