Ultra-High BandWidth Tunneling Injection Lasers.
Abstract
In conventional quantum well lasers, carriers are injected into the quantum wells with quite high energies. We have invented a new quantum well laser in which electrons are injected into the quantum well ground state through tunneling. The tunneling injection lasers are shown to have negligible gain compression, superior high temperature performance, lower Auger recombination and wavelength chirp, and better modulation characteristics when compared to conventional lasers. The underlying physical principles behind the superior performance are also explored and calculations and measurements of relaxation times in quantum wells have been made. Experimental results have been obtained for lasers made with a variety of material systems, InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs, InGaAs/GaAs/InGaAsP, and InGaAs/InGaAsP/InP, for different applications. Both single quantum well and multiple quantum well tunneling injection lasers are demonstrated. These lasers outperform any other semiconductor laser in terms of modulation bandwidth and gain compression. f(-3dB) is approximately 50 GHz and f(-3dB)max = 98 GHz have been measured. This device is now being investigated on a worldwide basis, and the tunneling mechanism has also been incorporated in VCSELs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 30, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA321076
Entities
People
- Pallab K. Bhattacharya
Organizations
- University of Michigan