Self-organization and photoluminescence properties of Pb0.7Sn0.3Te quantum dots embedded in a CdTe matrix

Abstract This paper describes self-organization of Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Te quantum dots (QDs) in a CdTe matrix and their photoluminescence (PL) properties by comparing with those of PbTe QDs in the same matrix. Owning to the large interface tension by the lattice-type mismatch of this heterosystem, postgrowth annealing brought a Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Te/CdTe quantum well into highly symmetric Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Te/CdTe QDs similar to the case of PbTe/CdTe heterosystem but with a little smaller QD size. Temperature dependent midinfrared PL spectra of these Pb 0.7 Sn 0.3 Te/CdTe and PbTe/CdTe QDs were explained by a theoretical calculation using the effective mass approximation and deformation potentials.