D. A. Firsov

Spontaneous far-IR emission accompanying transitions of charge carriers between levels of quantum dots

The spontaneous emission of far-infrared radiation (λ≅10–20 μm) from diode structures with vertically coupled InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots is observed. This emission is due both to transitions of holes and electrons between size-quantization levels in quantum dots and to transitions from the continuum to a level in a quantum dot. It is observed only when accompanied by lasing at short wavelengths (λ≅0.94 μm) and, like the short-wavelength emission, it exhibits a current threshold. The spontaneous emission of long-wavelength radiation is also observed in InGaAs/GaAs quantum-well laser structures. This radiation is approximately an order of magnitude weaker than that from quantum-dot structures, and it has no current threshold.

Impurity breakdown and terahertz luminescence in n-GaN epilayers under external electric field

We report on the observation and experimental studies of impurity breakdown and terahertz luminescence in n-GaN epilayers under external electric field. The terahertz electroluminescence is observed in a wide range of doping levels (at noncompensated donor density from 4.5×1016 to 3.4×1018 cm−3). Spectra of terahertz luminescence and photoconductivity are studied by means of Fourier transform spectrometry. Distinctive features of the spectra can be assigned to intracenter electron transitions between excited and ground states of silicon and oxygen donors and to hot electron transitions to the donor states.

Terahertz luminescence in strained GaAsN:Be layers under strong electric fields

The authors report on the experimental studies of terahertz emission from strained GaAsN∕GaAs microstructures doped with beryllium at the conditions of electric breakdown of the shallow impurity. The terahertz emission spectrum demonstrates several distinctive signatures that are related to spontaneous optical transitions between resonant and localized states of the acceptor. The energy spectrum calculated for the Be acceptor in the GaAsN∕GaAs heterostructure fits reasonably well with the experimentally observed peaks.The authors report on the experimental studies of terahertz emission from strained GaAsN∕GaAs microstructures doped with beryllium at the conditions of electric breakdown of the shallow impurity. The terahertz emission spectrum demonstrates several distinctive signatures that are related to spontaneous optical transitions between resonant and localized states of the acceptor. The energy spectrum calculated for the Be acceptor in the GaAsN∕GaAs heterostructure fits reasonably well with the experimentally observed peaks.

Generation of millimeter radiation due to electric-field-induced electron-transit-time resonance in indium phosphide

The stimulated millimeter radiation from n-type indium phosphide was observed at T=4.2 K in a strong electric field. The generation is due to the appearance of negative differential conductivity near the electron-transit-time resonance and electron bundling in momentum space in a strong electric field under conditions of low-temperature scattering from optical phonons. The dependence of the radiation frequency and intensity on the electric field was experimentally measured and the radiation spectrum is presented. The experimental data satisfactorily agree with the results of numerical simulations obtained previously by the Monte Carlo method.

Toward far- and mid-IR intraband lasers based on hot carrier intervalley/real-space transfer in multiple quantum well systems

Discussion of ways to achieve mid and far IR intraband lasing just by lateral electric field carrier (electron or hole) heating in multiple quantum well (MQW) structures is given. It is argued that the Gunn diodes are low frequency indirect transition lasers based on hot electron population inversion arising under electron intervalley transfer. In the MQW structures direct optical transitions exist while hot carrier population inversion can be achieved due to inter-valley/real space transfer. The two MQW structures are considered in this work: GaAs/AlAs and GaAs/InGaAs systems. In the first the hot electron (Gamma) -X intervalley/real space transfer from GaAs layers to AlAs layers provides population inversion while in the second the inversion can arise due to interlevel/interlayer transfer. Evaluations via the Monte-Carlo simulation of the hot electron phenomena in some of the structures are given and observation of the hot carrier phenomena of the type (including far and mid IR emission and absorption) are presented. Consideration of the appropriate laser design which provides also a way to cope with the low frequency (Gunn type) current oscillations is given.© (2001) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.

Blackbody-like emission of terahertz radiation from AlGaN/GaN heterostructure under electron heating in lateral electric field

The authors report on the observation and study of terahertz radiation emission from modulation-doped AlGaN/GaN heterostructure under conditions of heating of a two-dimensional electron gas in the lateral electric field. The experimental results are compared with the theoretical model of blackbody-like emission from hot two-dimensional electrons. Complementary transport measurements and a theoretical simulation were carried out to determine the dependence of effective electron temperature on electric field. The role of nonequilibrium optical phonon accumulation is discussed.

Electron heating by a strong longitudinal electric field in quantum wells

The electron heating by a strong longitudinal electric field and the energy losses due to the scattering of nonequilibrium electrons by polar optical phonons in rectangular GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells are studied. A simple model is suggested to calculate the rate of energy losses due to the scattering of electrons by nonequilibrium optical phonons. Some of the experimental results on the heating of charge carriers in quantum wells are discussed, and it is shown that taking nonequilibrium optical phonons into account significantly improves the agreement between the theoretical and experimental data.

Dynamics of photoluminescence and recombination processes in Sb-containing laser nanostructures

The dynamics of interband photoluminescence has been studied at various temperatures and excitation levels in structures with quantum wells based on InGaAsSb alloys and barriers based on AlGaAsSb and AlInGaAsSb alloys. The lifetimes of optically injected charge carriers in quantum wells at various temperatures and levels of optical excitation have been experimentally determined. An increase in the recombination rate in structures with deeper InGaAsSb/AlGaAsSb quantum wells for electrons is attributed to manifestation of resonant Auger recombination. The Auger recombination brings about heating of electrons and holes in lower subbands of dimensional quantization. The temperature of charge carriers in the course of Auger recombination is estimated using the equation for balance of power with accumulation of nonequilibrium optical phonons taken into account. The studied structures were used to fabricate lasers of two types with lasing wavelength of approximately 3 μm; it is shown that the use of a quinary alloy as the material for the barrier leads to an improvement in the characteristics of the lasers.

Room-temperature operation of quantum cascade lasers at a wavelength of 5.8 μm

The room-temperature generation of multiperiod quantum-cascade lasers (QCL) at a wavelength of 5.8 μm in the pulsed mode is demonstrated. The heterostructure of a quantum-cascade laser based on a heterojunction of InGaAs/InAlAs alloys is grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and incorporates 60 identical cascades. The threshold current density of the stripe laser 1.4 mm long and 22 μm wide is ~4.8 kA/cm2 at a temperature of 303 K. The maximum power of the optical-radiation output from one QCL face, recorded by a detector, is 88 mW. The actual optical-power output from one QCL face is no less than 150 mW. The results obtained and possible ways of optimizing the structure of the developed quantum-cascade lasers are discussed.

Lateral photoconductivity in structures with Ge/Si quantum dots

The spectra of lateral photoconductivity and optical absorption caused by the intraband optical transitions of holes in Ge/Si quantum dots are studied at different lattice temperatures. Polarization-dependent spectral features related to the transitions of holes from the quantum dot (QD) ground state are revealed in the optical spectra. Temperature photoconductivity quenching caused by the reverse trapping of nonequilibrium free holes by the QD bound state is observed. The obtained experimental data make it possible to determine the height of the surface band bending at the QD heterointerface.