Tunneling modulation of a quantum-well transistor laser
Abstract
Different than the Bardeen and Brattain transistor (1947) with the current gain depending on the ratio of the base carrier spontaneous recombination lifetime to the emitter-collector transit time, the Feng and Holonyak transistor laser current gain depends upon the base electron-hole (e-h) stimulated recombination, the base dielectric relaxation transport, and the collector stimulated tunneling. For the n-p-n transistor laser tunneling operation, the electron–hole pairs are generated at the collector junction under the influence of intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling, with electrons drifting to the collector and holes drifting to the base. The excess charge in the base lowers the emitter junction energy barrier, allowing emitter electron injection into the base and satisfying charge neutrality via base dielectric relaxation transport (∼femtoseconds). The excess electrons near the collector junction undergo stimulated recombination at the base quantum-well or transport to the collector, thus supporting tunneling current amplification and optical modulation of the transistor laser.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Nov 22, 2016
- Source ID
- 10.1063/1.4967922
Entities
People
- C. Y. Wang
- Jijun Qiu
- MengKe Feng
- N. Holonyak Jr.
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign