A. Salhi

3-D FEM Modeling and Fabrication of Circular Photonic Crystal Microcavity

In this paper, we study an unconventional kind of quasi-three-dimensional (3-D) photonic crystal (PhC) with circular lattice pattern: it consists of air holes in a GaAs material (n=3.408) along circular concentric lines. This particular PhC geometry has peculiar behavior if compared with the traditional square and triangular lattices, but it is difficult to model by using conventional numerical approaches such as wave expansion method. The resonance and the radiation aspects are analyzed by the 3-D finite-element method (FEM). The model, based on a scattering matrix approach, considers the cavity resonance frequency and evaluates the input-output relationship by enclosing the photonic crystal slab (PhCS) in a black box in order to define the responses at different input-output ports. The scattering matrix method gives important information about the frequency responses of the passive 3-D crystal in the 3-D spatial domain. A high sensitivity of the scattering parameters to the variation of the geometrical imperfection is also observed. The model is completed by the quality factor (Q-factor) estimation. We fabricated the designed circular photonic crystal over a slab membrane waveguide embedding InAs/GaAs quantum dots emitting around 1.28 mum. Good agreement between numerical and experimental results was found, thus validating the 3-D FEM full-wave investigation.

High-modal gain 1300-nm In(Ga)As-GaAs quantum-dot lasers

A semiconductor laser containing seven InAs-InGaAs stacked quantum-dot (QD) layers was grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Shallow mesa ridge-waveguide lasers with stripe width of 120 mum were fabricated and tested. A high modal gain of 41 cm-1 was obtained at room temperature corresponding to a modal gain of ~6 cm-1 per QD layer, which is very promising to enable the realization of 1.3-mum ultrashort cavity devices such as vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers. Ground state laser action was achieved for a 360-mum-cavity length with as-cleaved facets. The transparency current density per QD layer and internal quantum efficiency were 13 A/cm2 and 67%, respectively

Structural and optical properties of vertically stacked triple InAs dot-in-well structure

The authors report a detailed investigation of the structural and optical properties of vertically stacked InAs quantum dots embedded in an (In,Ga)As quantum well by means of transmission electron microscopy and time resolved photoluminescence based on the upconversion technique. By comparing the optical features of quantum dot samples of different barrier thicknesses (nominal values between 5 and 65nm), they have found evidence for electronic coupling among the quantum dots, featured by an increase of radiative lifetime and a relatively blueshifted emission peak for the thinnest spacer layer sample.

Subpicosecond timescale carrier dynamics in GaInAsSb∕AlGaAsSb double quantum wells emitting at 2.3μm

We report the results of an extensive optical investigation by continuous-wave and time resolved photoluminescence experiments on double GaInAsSb∕AlGaAsSb quantum wells emitting at 2.3μm at room temperature. We have found that, at low temperature (<70K), the recombination is dominated by excitons trapped in disorder and interface defects. Whereas, at higher temperature, free-exciton recombination occurs. The observed temperature dependent photoluminescence quenching is ascribed to the ionization of bound exciton at low temperatures, while thermoionic emission of the hole out of the quantum well dominates photoluminescence quenching at high temperatures. The experimental results are supported by theoretical calculations.

Achieving Uniform Carrier Distribution in MBE-Grown Compositionally Graded InGaN Multiple-Quantum-Well LEDs

We investigated the design and growth of compositionally graded InGaN multiplequantum-well (MQW)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) without an electron-blocking layer. Numerical investigation showed uniform carrier distribution in the active region and higher radiative recombination rate for the optimized graded-MQW design, i.e., In0→xGa1→(1-x)N/InxGa(1-x)N/Inx→0Ga(1-x)→1N, as compared with the conventional stepped-MQW-LED. The composition-grading schemes, such as linear, parabolic, and Fermi-function profiles, were numerically investigated for comparison. The stepped- and graded-MQW-LEDs were then grown using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy through surface-stoichiometry optimization based on reflection high-energy electron diffraction in situ observations. Stepped- and graded-MQW-LED showed efficiency roll over at 160 and 275 A/cm2, respectively. The extended threshold current density rollover (droop) in graded-MQW-LED is due to the improvement in carrier uniformity and radiative recombination rate, which is consistent with the numerical simulation.

Enhanced Performances of Quantum Dot Lasers Operating at 1.3

Due to their delta-like density of states, quantum dots (QDs) were expected to improve laser device performances with respect to quantum wells (QWs). Nevertheless, some important drawbacks limit this technology. For instance, QD laser still suffers from a low value of the modal gain, due to the low areal density of QDs, and inhomogeneous broadening, especially when multistacked layers are used. In this paper, we demonstrate that a linear increase of the QD modal gain with the QD layers number, as typically achieved in multi-QW lasers, is possible by a careful control of the Stranski-Krastanov QDs growth and QDs stacking optimization. A low-transparency current density of 10 A/cm2 per QD layer and a modal gain of 6 cm-1 per QD layer were achieved from laser structures containing up to seven QD layers. We demonstrate 10-Gb/s direct modulation (until a temperature of 50 degC) and high T 0 (110 K) from a single-mode device containing six QD layers.

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High performance 1300 nm lasers based on self-organized InAs/InGaAs quantum dots (QDs) are reported. By optimizing the QD growth parameters and decreasing the waveguide thickness, a high modal gain and a low transparency current density of 32 cm−1 and 35 A cm−2, respectively, were obtained from a device containing five stacked QD layers. The internal quantum efficiency is as high as 90%.

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In this letter, we report on experimental results of directly modulated single-transverse mode 1.3-mum InAs-InGaAs quantum-dot (QD) lasers in a wide temperature range. A 3.125-Gb/s data modulation over temperature with an extinction ratio up to 10 dB is reported. Moreover, 10-Gb/s eye patterns at 15 degC and 50 degC and 5-Gb/s modulation in the whole explored temperature range (15 degC-85 degC) are demonstrated. These results were obtained by exploiting heterostructures containing six layers of high modal gain InAs QDs grown without incorporation of p-doping in the active region or tunnelling injection structure implementation. QD lasers exhibited a saturation modal gain as high as 36.3 cm-1, ground state lasing from short cavities down to 400-mum length and a characteristic temperature of about 110 K in a large temperature range between 15 degC and 85 degC

High efficiency and high modal gain InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers emitting at 1300 nm

The authors have performed time resolved photoluminescence measurements by upconversion technique on InAs quantum dots embedded in an InGaAs∕GaAs quantum well emitting at 1.3μm at room temperature. A detailed analysis of the photoluminescence transients as a function of the excitation density and for different detection energies between the quantum dot transitions and the GaAs absorption edge shows that the intradot relaxation is slower than the direct carrier capture from the barrier states through a continuum background relaxation.The authors have performed time resolved photoluminescence measurements by upconversion technique on InAs quantum dots embedded in an InGaAs∕GaAs quantum well emitting at 1.3μm at room temperature. A detailed analysis of the photoluminescence transients as a function of the excitation density and for different detection energies between the quantum dot transitions and the GaAs absorption edge shows that the intradot relaxation is slower than the direct carrier capture from the barrier states through a continuum background relaxation.

High-Performance Directly Modulated 1.3-

Fabry-Perot InAs quantum-dot lasers grown on GaAs substrates are mutually coupled with a delay of several nanoseconds. Stable phase-locked output with narrow linewidth is obtained when the frequency detuning between the two lasers is less than 4 GHz. This simple locking scheme could find application in a variety of photonics applications.