Habibe Durmaz

Far-infrared intersubband photodetectors based on double-step III-nitride quantum wells

Far-infrared photoconductive detectors based on intersubband transitions in III-nitride semiconductor quantum wells are demonstrated. The device active material is based on a double-step quantum-well design, where two different (Al)GaN compositions are used both in the wells and in the barriers. With this approach, one can create a virtually flat multiple-quantum-well potential energy profile, where the deleterious effects of the intrinsic spontaneous and piezoelectric fields of nitride heterostructures are almost completely eliminated. Photocurrent spectra centered at a wavelength of 23 μm (13 THz frequency) are resolved up to 50 K, with responsivity of approximately 7 mA/W.

Strain engineered SiGe multiple-quantum-well nanomembranes for far-infrared intersubband device applications.

SiGe/Si quantum wells are of great interest for the development of Group-IV THz quantum cascade lasers. The main advantage of Group-IV over III-V materials such as GaAs is that, in the former, polar phonon scattering, which significantly diminishes the efficiency of intersubband light emission, is absent. However, for SiGe/Si multiple-quantum-well structures grown on bulk Si, the lattice mismatch between Si and Ge limits the critical thickness for dislocation formation and thus the number of periods that can be grown. Similarly, the use of composition-graded SiGe films as a lattice-matched substrate leads to the transfer of dislocations from the graded buffer substrate into the quantum wells, with a consequent decrease in light emission efficiency. Here we instead employ nanomembrane strain engineering to fabricate dislocation-free strain relaxed substrates, with lattice constants that match the average lattice constants of the quantum wells. This procedure allows for the growth of many periods with excellent structural properties. The samples in this work were grown by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and characterized via high-resolution X-ray diffraction and far-infrared transmission spectroscopy, showing narrow intersubband absorption features indicative of high crystalline quality.

Terahertz intersubband photodetectors based on semi-polar GaN/AlGaN heterostructures

Terahertz intersubband photodetectors are developed based on GaN/AlGaN quantum wells grown on a free-standing semi-polar (202¯1¯) GaN substrate. These quantum wells are nearly free of the polarization-induced internal electric fields that severely complicate the design of nitride intersubband devices on traditional c-plane substrates. As a result, a promising bound-to-quasi-bound THz photodetector design can be implemented. Pronounced photocurrent peaks at the design frequency near 10 THz are measured, covering frequencies that are fundamentally inaccessible to existing arsenide intersubband devices due to reststrahlen absorption. This materials system provides a favorable platform to utilize the intrinsic advantages of nitride semiconductors for THz optoelectronics.

III-nitride terahertz photodetectors for the Reststrahlen gap of intersubband optoelectronics

We report the development of terahertz intersubband photodetectors based on GaN/AlGaN quantum wells, covering the frequency range that is fundamentally inaccessible to existing III-V semiconductor devices due to Reststrahlen absorption. Two different approaches have been employed to mitigate the deleterious effects of the intrinsic polarization fields of nitride heterostructures: the use of suitably designed double-step quantum wells, and epitaxial growth on semipolar GaN substrates. Promising results are obtained with both approaches, which could be extended to other device applications as a way to utilize the intrinsic advantages of nitride semiconductors for THz intersubband optoelectronics.

SiGe Nanomembrane Active Materials for Far-Infrared Intersubband Devices

SiGe quantum-well nanomembranes are developed where the internal stress due to lattice mismatch is relaxed via elastic strain sharing without plastic deformation. Record narrow far-infrared intersubband absorption spectra are measured.

Strain-engineered SiGe quantum-well nanomembranes for far-infrared intersubband device applications

SiGe/Si quantum-well nanomembranes, where stress due to lattice mismatch is relaxed via elastic strain sharing rather than defect formation, are developed and their potential for far-infrared intersubband device applications is demonstrated.