H. Y. Liu

High-performance three-layer 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs-GaAs quantum-dot lasers with very low continuous-wave room-temperature threshold currents

The combination of high-growth-temperature GaAs spacer layers and high-reflectivity (HR)-coated facets has been utilized to obtain low threshold currents and threshold current densities for 1.3-/spl mu/m multilayer InAs-GaAs quantum-dot lasers. A very low continuous-wave (CW) room-temperature threshold current of 1.5 mA and a threshold current density of 18.8 A/cm/sup 2/ are achieved for a three-layer device with a 1-mm HR/HR cavity. For a 2-mm cavity, the CW threshold current density is as low as 17 A/cm/sup 2/ for an HR/HR device. An output power as high as 100 mW is obtained for a device with HR/cleaved facets.

Room-temperature 1.6μm light emission from InAs∕GaAs quantum dots with a thin GaAsSb cap layer

It is demonstrated that the emission of InAs quantum dots (QDs) capped with GaAsSb can be extended from 1.28to1.6μm by increasing the Sb composition of the capping layer from 14% to 26%. Photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy is applied to investigate the nature of this large redshift. The dominant mechanism is shown to be the formation of a type-II transition between an electron state in the InAs QDs and a hole state in the GaAsSb capping layer. The prospects for using these structures to fabricate 1.55μm injection lasers are discussed.

Influences of the spacer layer growth temperature on multilayer InAs∕GaAs quantum dot structures

The growth temperature of spacer layers (SPLs) is investigated as a means to obtain identical layers for multilayer quantum dot (QD) structures. A 5-layer 1.3-μm InAs∕GaAs QD structure with 50-nm GaAs SPLs served as a model system. It is found that the growth temperature of the GaAs SPLs has pronounced effects on both the structural and optical properties of the InAs QDs. For GaAs SPLs grown at a low temperature of 510°C, dislocations are observed in the second and subsequent layers, a result of significant surface roughness in the underlying spacer layer. However by increasing the growth temperature to 580°C for the final 35nm of the 50-nm GaAs SPLs, a much smoother surface is achieved, allowing the fabrication of essentially identical, defect free QD layers. The suppression of defect formation enhances both the room-temperature photoluminescence efficiency and the performance of 1.3-μm multilayer InAs∕GaAs QD lasers. An extremely low continue-wave room-temperature threshold current density of 39A∕cm2 is...

Low threshold current density and negative characteristic temperature 1.3μm InAs self-assembled quantum dot lasers

By combining optimized growth of the GaAs spacer layers and p-type modulation doping of the quantum dots, a 1.3μm emitting self-assembled quantum dot laser exhibiting both a low threshold current density and negative-T0 temperature behavior at room temperature is achieved. Spontaneous emission measurements provide no evidence for enhanced Auger recombination in doped devices. The negative T0 exhibited by the doped device is consistent with a delayed thermalization of carriers within the quantum dot ensemble.

Sb-induced phase control of InAsSb nanowires grown by molecular beam epitaxy

For the first time, we report a complete control of crystal structure in InAs(1-x)Sb(x) NWs by tuning the antimony (Sb) composition. This claim is substantiated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy combined with photoluminescence spectroscopy. The pure InAs nanowires generally show a mixture of wurtzite (WZ) and zinc-blende (ZB) phases, where addition of a small amount of Sb (∼2-4%) led to quasi-pure WZ InAsSb NWs, while further increase of Sb (∼10%) resulted in quasi-pure ZB InAsSb NWs. This phase transition is further evidenced by photoluminescence (PL) studies, where a dominant emission associated with the coexistence of WZ and ZB phases is present in the pure InAs NWs but absent in the PL spectrum of InAs0.96Sb0.04 NWs that instead shows a band-to-band emission. We also demonstrate that the Sb addition significantly reduces the stacking fault density in the NWs. This study provides new insights on the role of Sb addition for effective control of nanowire crystal structure.

Structural analysis of life tested 1.3 μm quantum dot lasers

We present the results of an accelerated life test study of quantum dot lasers operating at 1310 nm. The devices were run at 1 and 2u2002kA/cm2 (∼10 and ∼70 times Ith, depending on facet coatings), at temperatures of 80 and 100u2009°C for 1350 h. Some devices, particularly those with higher current densities, showed significant drops in output power and increase in threshold current over this time. The devices were examined using electroluminescence, which shows nonradiative recombination centers in the active region of the device as dark spots. A clear correlation between the density of dark spots and degradation is observed. The defect structure responsible for the dark spots has been identified using conventional and high-resolution cross-section transmission electron microscopy of selected structures. The defects consist of an inverted stacking fault pyramid or microtwin enclosing the dot. The more extensive defects observed after the life test are consistent with their growth by climb, i.e., addition and/or ...

The role of high growth temperature GaAs spacer layers in 1.3-/spl mu/m In(Ga)As quantum-dot lasers

We investigate the mechanisms by which high growth temperature spacer layers (HGTSLs) reduce the threshold current of 1.3-/spl mu/m emitting multilayer quantum-dot lasers. Measured optical loss and gain spectra are used to characterize samples that are nominally identical except for the HGTSL. We find that the use of the HGTSL leads to the internal optical mode loss being reduced from 15 /spl plusmn/ 2 to 3.5 /spl plusmn/ 2 cm/sup -1/, better defined absorption features, and more absorption at the ground state resulting from reduced inhomogenous broadening and a greater dot density. These characteristics, together with a reduced defect density, lead to greater modal gain at a given current density.

Mechanism for improvements of optical properties of 1.3-μm InAs∕GaAs quantum dots by a combined InAlAs–InGaAs cap layer

The optical and structural properties of InAs quantum dots (QDs) with a thin InAlAs–InGaAs composite cap layer have been systematically investigated by photoluminescence and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A number of improvements in the optical properties are observed with the use of an InAlAs–InGaAs cap layer, instead of InGaAs. These include a redshift of the emission, a reduction of the photoluminescence linewidth, an increased separation between the ground- and first-excited-state transitions, and an enhancement of the photoluminescence intensity at room temperature. To understand these optical improvements, the structural characteristics of the dots are studied by cross-sectional TEM. The height of the QDs is found to increase with increasing InAlAs thickness in the InAlAs–InGaAs cap layer. In addition, scanning TEM is used to qualitatively map the Al distribution in the vicinity of the QDs. These studies indicate that Al atoms are not deposited directly above the QDs in the present structur...

Recombination mechanisms in 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum-dot lasers

We measure, in real units, the radiative and total current density in high performance 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum-dot-laser structures. Despite very low threshold current densities, significant nonradiative recombination (/spl sim/80% of the total recombination) occurs at 300 K with an increasing fraction at higher current density and higher temperature. Two nonradiative processes are identified; the first increases approximately linearly with the radiative recombination while the second increases at a faster rate and is associated with the loss of carriers to either excited dot states or the wetting layer.

Effects of growth temperature on the structural and optical properties of 1.6μm GaInNAs∕GaAs multiple quantum wells

We have investigated the effects of growth temperature on the properties of 1.6 {mu}m GaInNAs/GaAs multilayer quantum wells (MQWs). Strong room-temperature optical efficiency is obtained at 1.58 {mu}m for the sample grown at 375 deg. C. However, the photoluminescence intensities with emission at similar wavelength are dramatically degraded for the samples grown at 350 and 400 deg. C. Structural investigations show that compositional modulation and defects occurred in the sample grown at 400 deg. C and possible point defects within the MQWs grown at 350 deg. C. Based on these observations, the mechanism of effects of growth temperature on near-1.55-{mu}m GaInNAs/GaAs MQWs is discussed.