Quantum confined one-dimensional electron-hole plasma in semiconductor quantum wires

We report a study of the temporal evolution of the luminescence from an electron-hole plasma confned in GaAs quantum wires under high-power excitation. In the spectra 1D intersubband transitions with quantum numbers as high as n=5 are resolved. The spectral positions are in excellent agrement with Kohn-Luttinger calculations based on an active wire width of w=60±5 nm, accurately determined by an x-ray diffraction method employed for 1D systems. The decay of the luminescence and the hot-carrier cooling rate, which is obtained from line-shape analysis, are found to be slower than the corresponding processes in quantum wells.