Abstract Photoluminescence and polarized reflection spectra of quantum well structures with symmetric Cd0.9Zn0.1Te/CdTe/Cd0.9Zn0.1Te and asymmetric Cd0.9Zn0.1Te/CdTe/Cd0.4Mg0.6Te barriers were studied. The Stokes parameters of the reflected light from these structures were measured. In structures with asymmetric barriers, in the region of exciton resonances, the phenomenon of light birefringence was detected, caused by a lower symmetry of the interfaces compared with the symmetry of bulk crystals.