Interface-related in-plane optical anisotropy in GaAsÕAlxGa1ÀxAs single-quantum-well structures studied by reflectance difference spectroscopy

The in-plane optical anisotropies of a series of GaAs/AlxGa12xAs single-quantum-well structures have been observed at room temperature by reflectance difference spectroscopy. The measured degree of polarization of the excitonic transitions is inversely proportional to the well width. Numerical calculations based on the envelope function approximation incorporating the effect of C2v-interface symmetry have been performed to analyze the origin of the optical anisotropy. Good agreement with the experimental data is obtained when the optical anisotropy is attributed to anisotropic-interface structures. The fitted interface potential parameters are consistent with predicted values.