Properties of Strain Compensated Symmetrical Triangular Quantum Wells Composed of InGaAs/InAs Chirped Superlattice Grown Using Gas Source Molecular Beam Epitaxy

We investigate the properties of symmetrical triangular quantum wells composed of InGaAs/InAs chirped superlattice, which is grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy via digital alloy method. In the quantum well structure tensile AlInGaAs are used as barriers to partially compensate for the significant compressive strain in the wells, the strain compensation effects are confirmed by x-ray measurement. The photoluminescence spectra of the sample are dominated by the excitonic recombination peak in the whole temperature range. The thermal quenching, peak energy shift and line-width broadening of the PL spectra are analysed in detail, the mechanisms are discussed.     

Optical properties of InGaAsBi/GaAs strained quantum wells studied by temperature-dependent photoluminescence

The effect of bismuth on the optical properties of InGaAsBi/GaAs quantum well structures is investigated using the temperature-dependent photoluminescence from 12 K to 450 K.The incorporation of bismuth in the InGaAsBi quantum well is confirmed and found to result in a red shift of photoluminescence wavelength of 27.3 meV at 300 K.The photoluminescence intensity is significantly enhanced by about 50 times at 12 K with respect to that of the InGaAs quantum well due to the surfactant effect of bismuth.The temperature-dependent integrated photoluminescence intensities of the two samples reveal different behaviors related to various non-radiative recombination processes.The incorporation of bismuth also induces alloy non-uniformity in the quantum well,leading to an increased photoluminescence linewidth.     

Pulse Wavelength Scan of Room-Temperature Mid-Infrared Distributed Feedback Quantum Cascade Lasers for N2O Gas Detection

The tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy under a pulse wavelength scan scheme is adapted to home-made room-temperature mid-infrared distributed feedback quantum cascade lasers; and identification of N2O spectral fingerprint is demonstrated experimentally. By driving the laser at 800ns pulse duration, a wave number tuning of about 1.6cm^-1 is produced, which make both 1289.04cm^-1 and 1289.86cm^-1 absorption fingerprints of N2O gas to be definitely assigned. The measured relative absorption intensity is consistent with the HITRAN data precisely.     

An Innovative Gas Sensor with On-Chip Reference Using Monolithic Twin Laser

An innovative gas sensor with on-chip reference using a monolithic twin laser is proposed. In this sensor a monolithic twin laser generates two closer laser beams with slight different wavelengths alternatively, one photodiode is used to catch both absorption and reference signals by time division multiplexing. The detection of nitrous oxide adopting this scheme using a 2.1μm antimonide laser and an InGaAs photodiode has been demonstrated experimentally with detection limit below 1ppm. Using this on chip reference scheme the fluctuations from the optical path and devices can be compensated effectively; the sensor system is simplified distinctly.     

InP-based InGaAs/InA1GaAs digital alloy quantum well laser structure at 2μm

The structural and optical characteristics of InP-based compressively strained InGaAs quantum wells have been significantly improved by using gas source molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs/Ino.53Ga0.47As digital alloy triangular well layers and tensile Ino.53Ga0.47As/InAiGaAs digital alloy barrier layers. The x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope characterisations indicate that the digital alloy structures present favourable lattice quality. Photo- luminescence （PL） and electroluminescence （EL） measurements show that the use of digital alloy barriers offers better optical characteristics than that of conventional random alloy barriers. A significantly improved PL signal of around 2.1μm at 300 K and an EL signal of around 1.95μm at 100 K have been obtained.     

Structural and Photoluminescence Properties for Highly Strain-Compensated InGaAs/InA1As Superlattice ＊

The effects of strain compensation are investigated by using twenty periods of highly strain-compensated InGaAs/InA1As superlattice. The lattice mismatches of individual layers are as high as about 1%, and the thicknesses are close to critical thicknesses. X-ray diffraction measurements show that lattice imperfectness is not serious but still present, though the structural parameters are within the range of theoretical design criteria for structural stability. Rough interfaces and composition fluctuations are the primary causes for lattice imperfecthess. Photoluminescence measurements show the large thermally activated nonradiative recombination in the sample. In addition, the recombination process gradually evolves from exeitonic recombination at lower temperatures to band-to-band recombination at higher temperatures, which should be considered in device applications.     

Strain Compensated AlInGaAs/InGaAs/InAs Triangular Quantum Wells for Lasing Wavelength beyond 2μm

The subband energy and lasing wavelength of compressively strained triangular Ino.53Ga0.47As/InAs quantum well are calculated and compared with the conventional rectangular ones with the same strain contents. The strain compensation using Al0.33In0.36Ga0.31As barrier is introduced. The results show that lasing wavelength can be extended dramatically to beyond 2.8μm by changing the energy band from the conventional rectangular shape to a triangular one, the realization of such a structure using molecular beam epitaxy technology is also discussed.     

InP-based InGaAs/InAlGaAs digital alloy quantum well laser structure at 2 μm

The structural and optical characteristics of InP-based compressively strained InGaAs quantum wells have been significantly improved by using gas source molecular beam epitaxy grown InAs/In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As digital alloy triangular well layers and tensile In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/InAlGaAs digital alloy barrier layers.The x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope characterisations indicate that the digital alloy structures present favourable lattice quality.Photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) measurements show that the use of digital alloy barriers offers better optical characteristics than that of conventional random alloy barriers.A significantly improved PL signal of around 2.1 μm at 300 K and an EL signal of around 1.95 μm at 100 K have been obtained.     

Gas Source MBE-Grown Metamorphic InGaAs Photodetectors using InAlAsBuffer and Cap Layers with Cut-off Wavelength up to 2.7

We report on InP-based metamorphic InGaAs photodiodes grown by gas source molecular beam epitaxy （MBE）, in which a relatively thin compositional graded wide band-gap InxAl1-xAs buffer layer is adopted. In the photodiodes, InAiAs is also taken as cap layers, so this structure is suitable for both front and back illuminations. At room temperature the photodiodes show 50% cut-off wavelength of 2.66μm, with measured peak detectivity of 4.91×10^9 cmHz^1/2/W at 2.57μm, and the typical dark current and RoA are 7.68μA/0.94Ωcm^2 and 291 nA/24.29Ωcm^2 at 290 K and 150 K respectively for the devices in diameter 300 μm. Their performances are compared to the 2.5μm cut-off photodiodes with similar structures.     

Wavelength Extended InGaAsBi Detectors with Temperature-Insensitive Cutoff Wavelength

We demonstrate a wavelength extended InGaAsBi short-wave infrared photodetector on an InP substrate with the 50% cutoff wavelength up to 2.63μm at room temperature. The moderate growth temperature is applied to balance the Bi incorporation and material quality. Photoluminescence and x-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping measurements reveal the contents of bismuth and indium in InGaAsBi to be about 2.7% and 76%,respectively. The InGaAsBi detector shows the temperature-insensitive cutoff wavelength with a low coefficient of about 0.96 nm/K. The demonstration indicates the InP-based InGaAsBi material is a promising candidate for wavelength extended short-wave infrared detectors working.