Excitons in semiconductors can be used as a tool to probe various material and structural properties. The authors studied strain-related materials parameters in InSb/AlxIn1-xSb quantum well structures. By changing the Al concentration in the barrier layers (0.03 < x < 0.23), the strain in the quantum wells can be tuned continuously. Using infrared transmission measurements, the authors traced strain-induced shifts in the energies of the confined states. The different strain dependences of the light- and heavy-hole band edges allow us to determine deformation potentials alpha and beta. simultaneously. (c) 2006 American Vacuum Society.