T. J. Badcock

Improved performance of 1.3μm multilayer InAs quantum-dot lasers using a high-growth-temperature GaAs spacer layer

The use of a high-growth-temperature GaAs spacer layer is demonstrated to significantly improve the performance of 1.3μm multilayer self-assembled InAs∕InGaAs dot-in-a-well lasers. The high-growth-temperature spacer layer inhibits threading dislocation formation, resulting in enhanced electrical and optical characteristics. Incorporation of these spacer layers allows the fabrication of multilayer quantum-dot devices emitting above 1.3μm, with extremely low room-temperature threshold current densities and with operation up to 105°C.

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.

Long-wavelength light emission and lasing from InAs∕GaAs quantum dots covered by a GaAsSb strain-reducing layer

The effects of a thin GaAsSb strain-reducing layer on the optical properties of InAs∕GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are investigated. With increasing Sb composition, the room-temperature emission wavelength of the InAs QDs increases to ∼1.43μm. For Sb compositions above 14%, the system becomes Type II, with a decrease of the photoluminescence (PL) efficiency. At a composition of 14%, the room-temperature PL efficiency is maximized, and is also significantly enhanced when compared to that of conventional InGaAs-capped InAs QDs grown under the same conditions. Room-temperature ground-state lasing at 1.292μm is demonstrated for an InAs∕GaAsSb∕GaAs structure.

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.

p-doped 1.3 μm InAs/GaAs quantum-dot laser with a low threshold current density and high differential efficiency

A modification of the thickness of the low-growth-temperature component of the GaAs spacer layers in multilayer 1.3μm InAs∕GaAs quantum-dot (QD) lasers has been used to significantly improve device performance. For a p-doped seven-layer device, a reduction in the thickness of this component from 15to2nm results in a reduced reverse bias leakage current and an increase in the intensity of the spontaneous emission. In addition, a significant reduction of the threshold current density and an increase of the external differential efficiency at room temperature are obtained. These improvements indicate a reduced defect density, most probably a combination of the selective elimination of a very low density of dislocated dots and a smaller number of defects in the thinner low-growth-temperature component of the GaAs spacer layer.

The consequences of high injected carrier densities on carrier localization and efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN quantum well structures

There is a great deal of interest in the underlying causes of efficiency droop in InGaN/GaN quantum welllight emitting diodes, with several physical mechanisms being put forward to explain the phenomenon. In this paper we report on the observation of a reduction in the localization induced S-shape temperature dependence of the peak photoluminescence energy with increasing excitation power density. This S-shape dependence is a key fingerprint of carrier localization. Over the range of excitation power density where the depth of the S shape is reduced, we also observe a reduction in the integrated photoluminescence intensity per unit excitation power, i.e., efficiency droop. Hence, the onset of efficiency droop occurs at the same carrier density as the onset of carrier delocalization. We correlate these experimental results with the predictions of a theoretical model of the effects of carrier localization due to local variations in the concentration of the randomly distributed In atoms on the optical properties of InGaN/GaN quantum wells. On the basis of this comparison of theory with experiment we attribute the reduction in the S-shape temperature dependence to the saturation of the available localized states. We propose that this saturation of the localized states is a contributory factor to efficiency droop whereby nonlocalized carriers recombine non-radiatively.

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...

Optical transitions in type-II InAs∕GaAs quantum dots covered by a GaAsSb strain-reducing layer

The excitation power dependence of the ground and excited state transitions in type-II InAs-GaAs0.78Sb0.22 quantum dot structure has been studied. Both transitions exhibit a strong blueshift with increasing excitation power but their separation remains constant. This behavior indicates a carrier-induced electric field oriented predominantly along the growth axis, which requires the holes to be localized in the GaAsSb above quantum dots. An accelerated blueshift of the ground state emission is observed once the excited state in the dots starts to populate. This behavior can be explained by a smaller spontaneous recombination coefficient for the excited state transition.

Systematic Study of the Effects of Modulation p-Doping on 1.3-

The effects of modulation p-doping on 1.3-mum InGaAs-InAs quantum-dot (QD) lasers are systematically investigated using a series of wafers with doping levels from 0 to 18 acceptors per QD. Various characterization techniques for both laser diodes and surface-emitting light-emitting diode structures are employed. We report: 1) how the level of modulation p-doping alters the length dependant laser characteristics (in turn providing insight on various key parameters); 2) the effect of modulation p-doping on the temperature dependence of a number of factors and its role in obtaining an infinite T0; 3) how increasing concentrations of modulation p-doping affects the saturated gain, differential gain, and gain profile of the lasers; and finally, 4) the effect modulation p-doping has on the small signal modulation properties of 1.3-mum QD lasers. In each of these areas, the role of modulation p-doping is established and critically discussed.

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We directly measure the modal gain and spontaneous emission spectra in three quantum dot structures that are nominally identical except for the level of p doping to ascertain the effect that p doping has on quantum dot lasers. The maximum modal gain increases at fixed quasi-Fermi level separation as the level of p doping increases from 0 to 15 to 50 acceptors per dot. The internal optical mode loss is similar for all three samples but the measured nonradiative current is larger for the p-doped structures.