Resonance-free optical response of a vertical cavity transistor laser

Abstract

Optical resonance in a semiconductor laser is a major limitation in high speed data communications, resulting in bit error rate degradation and requiring additional power consuming error-correction circuits to counter these effects. In this work, we report the microwave bandwidth measurement of a vertical cavity transistor laser with an oxide-confined aperture of 4.7 × 5.4 μm2 and demonstrate a 3 dB bandwidth of 11 GHz resonance-free optical response via base-current or collector-voltage modulation. The emission spectra exhibit single-mode operation around 970 nm with a narrow linewidth of Δλ ∼ 0.23 Å (cavity Q of 42 216). The resonance-free optical response is explained by the absence of carrier “accumulating” due to the fast base electron-hole recombination lifetimes and a gradient in the minority carrier charge in the transistor active mode.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Sep 18, 2017
Source ID
10.1063/1.5004133

Entities

People

  • Chao-Hsin Wu
  • Cheng-han Wu
  • M. K. Wu
  • MengKe Feng
  • N. Holonyak Jr.

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Army Research Office
  • National Science and Technology Council
  • University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computer Programming and Software Development.
  • Pulsed Power and Plasma Physics.
  • Semiconductor Device Technology

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy
  • Microelectronics