Effects of hydrogen on the optical properties of ZnCdO/ZnO quantum wells grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Temperature-dependent cw- and time-resolved photoluminescence (PL), as well as optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) measurements are employed to evaluate effects of deuterium (2H) doping on optical properties of ZnCdO/ZnO quantum well structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy. It is shown that incorporation of H-2 from a remote plasma causes a substantial improvement in radiative efficiency of the investigated structures. Based on transient PL measurements, the observed improvements are attributed to efficient passivation by hydrogen of competing nonradiative recombination centers via defects. This conclusion is confirmed from the ODMR studies. (C) 2008 American Institute of Physics.