On the origin of Franz-Keldysh oscillations in AlGaAs/GaAs modulation-doped heterojunctions

We have performed a series of photoreflectance measurements in a modulation-doped AlGaAs/GaAs heterojunction containing a high mobility two-dimensional electron gas. Measurements were performed as a function of temperature in the range 2 K≤T≤300 K. We studied the Franz-Keldysh oscillations associated with the E₀ transition of both the GaAs and AlGaAs. The fields obtained from these oscillations for both sides of the heterojunction are quite different. Also, the temperature dependence of these fields are radically different. In fact, the temperature dependence of the field in the GaAs side of the modulation-doped heterojunction sample is very similar to that of the field in a single undoped GaAs film deposited on a GaAs substrate, where no two-dimensional electron gas is present. This shows that the field producing the observed oscillations on the GaAs side of the modulation-doped heterojunction sample is not related to the field that confines the two-dimensional electron gas.