Strong exciton binding in hybrid GaAs-based nanostructures

We propose a new type of hybrid systems formed by conventional semi-conductor nanostructures with the addition of remote insulating layers, where electron-hole interaction is enhanced by combining quantum and dielectric confinement over different length scales. Due to the polarization charges induced by dielectric mismatch at the semiconductor/insulator interfaces, the exciton binding energy can be strongly enhanced. By a novel theoretical scheme, we show that, for realistic structures based on conventional III-V quantum wires, such remote dielectric confinement allows exciton binding at room temperature. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.