Interplay between Internal and External Electric Field Studied by Photoluminescence in InGaN/GaN Light Emitting Diodes

We have studied a series of polar InGaN/GaN light emitting diodes, consisting of either a blue (440-450 nm) quantum well, or combination of blue and violet (410 nm) quantum wells (with indium content 18% and 10%, respectively). The blue quantum well was always placed close to p-type region of the particular LED. We found that the electroluminescence induced by low current is characterized by light emission from the blue quantum well only. In comparison, optical excitation of our LEDs leads to light emission with energies characteristic either for blue and/or violet quantum wells. The corresponding microphotoluminescence spectra evolve depending on external polarization and variable light intensity of excitation supplied by He-Cd laser. Interplay between built-in electric field and externally applied polarization/screening decides about the band structure profiles and thus radiative recombination mechanisms.