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Study of two-subband population in Fe-doped AlxGa1-xN/GaN heterostructures by persistent photoconductivity effect

The electronic properties of Fe-doped Al0.31Ga0.69N/GaN heterostructures have been studied by Shubnikov-de Haas measurement. Two subbands of the two-dimensional electron gas in the hetero-interface were populated. After the low temperature illumination, the electron density increases from 11.99 x 1012 cm-2 to 13.40 x 1012 cm-2 for the first subband and from 0.66 x 1012 cm-2 to 0.94 x 1012 cm-2 for the second subband. The persistent photoconductivity effect (~13% increase) is mostly attributed to the Fe-related deep-donor level in GaN layer. The second subband starts to populate when the first subband is filled at a density n1 = 9.40 x 1012 cm-2. We calculate the energy separation between the first and second subbands to be 105 meV.