Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 February 2011
Superlattices and quantum wells of Znl-xCdxSe/ZnSe,and heterostructures based on ZnSe/CdSe digital alloys have been grown bymolecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Their optical properties were studied withparticular emphasis on excitonic absorption and photopumped stimulatedemission. Excitonic absorption is easily observable up to 400 K, and ischaracterized by extremely large absorption coefficients (α = 2×105cm−1). Optically pumped lasing action isobtained at room temperature with a typical threshold intensity of 100 kW/cm2. The lasing mechanism in these II-VI quantum wellsappears to be quite different from that in the better studied III-Vmaterials: in our case, the onset of stimulated emission occurs before the saturation of the excitonic absorption, andthe stimulated emission occurs at an energy lower than thatof the excitonic absorption.