Effects of electron irradiation on photoluminescence from GaInNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells subject to thermal annealing

Electron irradiation of a 1.3-(mu)m GaInNAs/GaAs quantum-well heterostructure, grown by molecular beam epitaxy and subsequently subjected to rapid thermal annealing, is found to induce much stronger photoluminescence than that observed for an identical as-grown sample upon annealing. Annealing of the irradiated sample also causes an additional spectral blueshift, reduces alloy potential energy fluctuations at the conduction band minimum, and narrows spectral linewidths. These irradiation-related phenomena are accompanied by a discernable change in X-ray diffraction features upon annealing, which indicate a change in quantum well alloy composition or structure.