Enhanced photoluminescence of InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well with tungsten disulfide quantum dots

The pristine and diethylenetriamine (DETA)-doped tungsten disulfide quantum dots (WS₂ QDs) with an average lateral size of about 5 nm have been synthesized using pulsed laser ablation (PLA). Introduction of the synthesized WS₂ QDs on the InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells (QWs) can improve the photoluminescence (PL) of the InGaAs/AlGaAs QW as high as 6 fold. On the basis of the time-resolved PL and Kelvin probe measurements, the PL enhancement is attributed to the carrier transfer from the pristine or DETA-doped WS₂ QDs to the InGaAs/AlGaAs QW. A heterostructure band diagram is proposed for explaining the carrier transfer, which increases the hole densities in the QW and enhances its PL intensity. This study is expected to be beneficial for the development of the InGaAs-based optoelectronic devices.