Stokes shift in quantum wells: trapping versus thermalization

Low temperature photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation measurements have been performed in a set of InGaAs/GaAs samples with different indium molar fraction, well width, growth conditions and post-growth treatment. This has allowed to change in a controlled way the degree and source of disorder in the samples, thus resulting in an excitonic absorption linewidth varying between 1 and 18 meV, and an ensueing Stokes shift changing between zero and 8 meV. The conditions of validity of two different models relating the Stokes shift to the linewidth broadening have been established in terms of different regimes of disorder and temperature. A continuous transition between those regimes has been demonstrated.