Effect of proton bombardment on InAs dots and wetting layer in laser structures

The effect of proton bombardment on carrier lifetime and photoluminescence of InAs quantum dots was measured. Optical absorption and transmission electron microscopy show the dots retain their integrity under bombardment. A decrease in ground state photoluminescence with increasing dose is not explained by the decrease in dot carrier lifetime alone, but also by bombardment-induced non-radiative recombination in the wetting layer, which reduces the dot electron population at fixed excitation. To exploit the relative radiation immunity of quantum dots, it is necessary to maximise the dot density and capture probability per dot to minimize the effect of wetting layer recombination.