Application of step-scan FTIR to the research of quantum cascade lasers

The principle of step-scan Fourier transform infrared （FTIR） spectroscopy is introduced. Double modulation step-scan FTIR technique is used to obtain the quantum cascade laser＇s stacked emission spectra in the time domain. Optical property and thermal accumulation of devices due to large drive current are analyzed.

An Electroabsorption Modulator Monolithically Integrated with a Semiconductor Optical Amplifier and a Dual-Waveguide Spot-Size Converter

A semiconductor optical amplifier and electroabsorption modulator monolithically integrated with a spotsize converter input and output is fabricated by means of selective area growth,quantum well intermixing,and asymmetric twin waveguide technology. A 1550-1600nm lossless operation with a high DC extinction ratio of 25dB and more than 10GHz 3dB bandwidth are successfully achieved. The output beam divergence angles of the device in the horizontal and vertical directions are as small as 7.3°× 18.0°, respectively, resulting in a 3.0dB coupling loss with a cleaved single-mode optical fiber.

Stable Temperature Characteristics of InAs/GaAs Quantum Dots at Long Wavelength Emission

The time-resolved photoluminescence and steady photoluminescence (TRPL and PL) spectra on self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are investigated. By depositing GaAs/InAs short period superlattices (SLs), 1. 48 μtm emission is obtained at room temperature. Temperature dependent PL measurements show that the PL intensity of the emission is very steady. It decays only to half as the temperature increases from 15 K to room temperature, while at the same time, the intensity of the other emission decreases by a factor of 5 orders of magnitude. These two emissions are attributed to large-size QDs and short period superlattices (SLs), respectively. Large-size QDs are easier to capture and confine carriers,which benefits the lifetime of PL, and therefore makes the emission intensity insensitive to the temperature.

Experimental study of mode characteristics for equilateral triangle semiconductor microcavities

Equilateral triangle semiconductor microcavities with tensile-strained InGaAsP multi-quantum-well asthe active region are fabricated by the inductively coupled plasma (ICP) etching technique. The modecharacteristics of the fabricated microcavities are investigated by photoluminescence, and enhanced peaksof the photoluminescence spectra corresponding to the fundamental transverse modes are observed formicrocavities with side lengths of 5 and 10 μm. The mode wavelength spacings measured experimentallycoincide very well with those obtained by the theoretical formulae.

Surface Morphology and Photoluminescence of 1.3 μm Wavelength In(Ga)As/GaAs Quantum Dots

Self-organized In_(0.5)Ga_(0.5)As/GaAs quantum island structure emitting at 1. 35 (im at room temperature has been successfully fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) via cycled (InAs)_1/( GaAs)_1 monolayer deposition method. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement shows that very narrow PL linewidth of 19.2 meV at 300 K has been reached for the first time, indicating effective suppression of inhomogeneous broadening of optical emission from the In_(0.5)Ga_(0.5)As islands structure. Our results provide important information for optimizing the epitaxial structures of 1.3 μm wavelength quantum dot (QD) devices.

Measurement of Cavity Loss and Quasi-Fermi-Level Separation for Fabry-Perot Semiconductor Lasers

A fitting process is used to measure the cavity loss and the quasi-Fermi-level separation for Fabry- Perot semiconductor lasers. From the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) spectrum, the gain spectrum and single-pass ASE obtained by the Cassidy method are applied in the fitting process. For a 1550nm quantum well InGaAsP ridge waveguide laser, the cavity loss of about ～24cm~(-1) is obtained.

Influence of In0.2Ga0.8As strain-reducing layer on the active region of quantum dot superluminescent diodes

We have investigated the optical properties of asymmetric multiple layer stacked self-assembled InAs quantum dot with different interlayer. We found that asymmetric multiple stacked QD samples with In0.2Ga0.8As + GaAs interlayer can afford a 180nm flat spectral width with strong PL intensity compared to other samples at room temperature. We think this result is due to the introduction of In0.2Ga0.8As strain-reducing layer. Additionally, for the broad spectral width and the strong PL intensity, this structure can be a promising candidate for quantum-dot superluminescent diodes.

High power continuous-wave operation of self-organized In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dot lasers

Quantum dot (QD) lasers are expected to have superior properties over conventional quantum well lasers due to a delta-function like density of states resulting from three dimensional quantum confinements. QD lasers can only be realized till significant improvements in uniformity of QDs with free of defects and increasing QD density as well in recent years. In this paper, we first briefly give a review on the techniques for preparing QDs, and emphasis on strain induced self-organized quantum dot growth. Secondly, self-organized In(Ga)As/GaAs, InAlAs/GaAlAs and InAs/InAlAs Qds grown on both GaAs and InP substrates with different orientations by using MBE and the Stranski-Krastanow (SK) growth mode at our labs are presented. Under optimizing the growth conditions such as growth temperature, V/III ratio, the amount of InAs, InxGa1-xAs, InxAl1-xAs coverage, the composition x etc., controlling the thickness of the strained layers, for example, just slightly larger than the critical thickness and choosing the substrate orientation or patterned substrates as well, the sheet density of ODs can reach as high as 10(11) cm(-2), and the dot size distribution is controlled to be less than 10% (see Fig. 1). Those are very important to obtain the lower threshold current density (J(th)) of the QD Laser. How to improve the dot lateral ordering and the dot vertical alignment for realizing lasing from the ground states of the QDs and further reducing the Jth Of the QD lasers are also described in detail. Thirdly based on the optimization of the band engineering design for QD laser and the structure geometry and growth conditions of QDs, a 1W continuous-wave (cw) laser operation of a single composite sheet or vertically coupled In(Ga)As quantum dots in a GaAs matrix (see Fig. 2) and a larger than 10W semiconductor laser module consisted nineteen QD laser diodes are demonstrated. The lifetime of the QD laser with an emitting wavelength around 960nm and 0.613W cw operation at room temperature is over than 3000 hrs, at this point the output power was only reduced to 0.83db. This is the best result as we know at moment. Finally the future trends and perspectives of the QD laser are also discussed.

High performance 1.55 mu m InGaAsP/InP strained layer quantum well laser diodes fabricated by MOCVD overgrowth method

High performance uncooled 1.55 mu m InGaAsP/InP strained layer quantum well (SL-QW) lasers grown by low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) were reported in this paper. Whole MOCVD over growth method were applied in this work. The threshold currents of 5mA and the highest lasing temperature of 122 degrees C were obtained.

Growth and fabrication of high performance 980nm strained InGaAs quantum well lasers using novel hybrid material system of InGaAsP and AlGaAs

In this paper, we report on the design, growth and fabrication of 980nm strained InGaAs quantum well lasers employing novel material system of Al-free active region and AlGaAs cladding layers. The use of AlGaAs cladding instead of InGaP provides potential advantages in laser structure design, improvement of surface morphology and laser performance. We demonstrate an optimized broad-waveguide structure for obtaining high power 980nm quantum well lasers with low vertical beam divergence. The laser structure was grown by low-pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, which exhibit a high internal quantum efficiency of similar to 90% and a low internal loss of 1.5-2.5 cm(-1). The broad-area and ridge-waveguide laser devices are both fabricated. For 100 mu m wide stripe lasers with cavity length of 800 mu m, a low threshold current of 170mA, a high slope efficiency of 1.0W/A and high output power of more than 3.5W are achieved. The temperature dependences of the threshold current and the emitting spectra demonstrate a very high characteristic temperature coefficient (T-o) of 200-250K and a wavelength shift coefficient of 0.34nm/degrees C. For 4 mu m-width ridge waveguide structure laser devices, a maximum output power of 340mW with GOD-free thermal roll-over characteristics is obtained.

The study of single mode 650nm AlGaInP quantum well laser diodes for DVD

Single mode 650nm AlGaInP quantum well laser diodes grown by low pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (LP-MOCVD) was reported in this paper. Selected buried rigewaveguid were applied for single mode operation especially for DVD use. The operating temperature over 90 degree at CW output power 5 mW was achieved.

Controllable growth of semiconductor nanometer structures

Self-assembled quantum dots and wires were obtained in the InxGa1-xAs/GaAs and InAs/In0.52Al0.48As/InP systems, respectively, using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Uniformity in the distribution, density, and spatial ordering of the nanostructures can be controlled to some extent by adjusting and optimizing the MBE growth parameters. In addition, some interesting observation on the InAs wire alignment on InP(001) is discussed. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport properties through quantum dot in a vertical electric field

The transport properties through a quantum dot are calculated using the recursion method. The results show that the electric fields can move the conductive peaks along the high- and low-energies. The electric field changes the intensity of conductance slightly. Our theoretical results should be useful for researching and making low-dimensional semiconductor optoelectronic devices. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Size and shape evolution of self-assembled coherent InAs/GaAs quantum dots influenced by seed layer

The size and shape Evolution of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) influenced by 2.0-ML InAs seed layer has been systematically investigated for 2.0, 2.5, and 2.9-ML deposition on GaAs(1 0 0) substrate. Based on comparisons with the evolution of InAs islands on single layer samples at late growth stage, the bimodal size distribution of InAs islands at 2.5-ML InAs coverage and the formation of larger InAs quantum dots at 2.9-ML deposition have been observed on the second InAs layer. The further cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy measurement indicates the larger InAs QDs: at 2.9-ML deposition on the second layer are free of dislocation. In addition, the interpretations for the size and shape evolution of InAs/GaAs QDs on the second layer will be presented. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All lights reserved.

Modification of emission wavelength of self-assembled In(Ga)As/GaAs quantum dots covered by InxGa1-xAs(0 <= x <= 0.3) layer

Red shifts of emission wavelength of self-organized In(Cla)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) covered by 3 nm thick InxGa1-xAs layer with three different In mole fractions (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3, respectively) have been observed. Transmission electron microscopy images demonstrate that the stress along growth direction in the InAs dots was reduced due to introducing the InxGa1-xAs (x = 0.1, 0.2 and 0.3) covering layer instead of GaAs layer. Atomic force microscopy pictures show a smoother surface of InAs islands covered by an In0.2Ga0.8As layer. It is explained by the calculations that the redshifts of the photoluminescence (PL) spectra from the QDs covered by the InxGa1-xAs (x greater than or equal to 0.1) layers were mainly due to the reducing of the strain other than the InAs/GaAs intermixing in the InAs QDs. The temperature dependent PL spectra further confirm that the InGaAs covering layer can effectively suppress the temperature sensitivity of PL emissions. 1.3 mum emission wavelength with a very narrow linewidth of 19.2 mcV at room temperature has been obtained successfully from In,In0.5Ga0.5As/GaAs self-assembled QDs covered by a 3-nm In0.2Ga0.2As strain reducing layer. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.