Semiconductor Lasers: Physics and Applications

Contains an introduction and reports on eight research projects.MIT Lincoln Laboratory Contract BX-6558MIT Lincoln LaboratoryU.S. Navy - Office of Naval Research/MUR

Distinguishing Thermal and Electronic Effects in Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy Using Oxide Heterostructures

Measuring time-resolved photoexcited properties in semiconductors is critical to the design and improvement of light-harvesting devices. Although ultrafast pump–probe spectroscopy offers a promising route to understand carrier recombination mechanisms and quantify lifetimes, thermal contributions to the transient optical response can be significant and need to be properly accounted for to isolate carrier-induced contributions. We demonstrate the use of broadband ultrafast optical spectroscopy on type I heterostructures as a means to isolate transient effects that are solely thermal in nature. Specifically, we use transient absorption and reflectance spectroscopy to measure the time-resolved optoelectronic changes in photoexcited epitaxial bilayers of LaFeO₃/LaMnO₃ and monolithic thin films of these materials. Experiments and complementary numerical modeling reveal that thermal effects dominate the transient absorption and reflectance spectra above the band gap. Fitting the dynamics with a thermal diffusion model yields thermal conductivities of 6.4 W m^–1 K^–1 for LaFeO₃ and 2.2 W m^–1 K^–1 for LaMnO₃. In LaFeO₃, an additional photoinduced absorption feature below the band gap at ∼1.9 eV is assigned primarily to photoexcited carriers and persists for over 3 ns. This work provides a direct demonstration of how thermal and electronic contributions can be separated in transient optical spectroscopies, enabling new insights into dynamical optical properties of semiconductors

Static and Dynamic Optical Properties of La_1–<i>x</i>Sr_<i>x</i>FeO_3−δ: The Effects of A‑Site and Oxygen Stoichiometry

Perovskite oxides are a promising material class for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications due to their visible band gaps, nanosecond recombination lifetimes, and great chemical diversity. However, there is limited understanding of the link between composition and static and dynamic optical properties, despite the critical role these properties play in the design of light-harvesting devices. To clarify these relationships, we systemically studied the optoelectronic properties in La_1–<i>x</i>Sr_<i>x</i>FeO_3−δ epitaxial films, uncovering the effects of A-site cation substitution and oxygen stoichiometry. Variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to measure static optical properties, revealing a linear increase in absorption coefficient at 1.25 eV and a red-shifting of the optical absorption edge with increasing Sr fraction. The absorption spectra can be similarly tuned through the introduction of oxygen vacancies, indicating the critical role that nominal Fe valence plays in optical absorption. Dynamic optoelectronic properties were studied with ultrafast transient reflectance spectroscopy, revealing similar nanosecond photoexcited carrier lifetimes for oxygen deficient and stoichiometric films with the same nominal Fe valence. These results demonstrate that while the static optical absorption is strongly dependent on nominal Fe valence tuned through cation or anion stoichiometry, oxygen vacancies do not appear to play a significantly detrimental role in the recombination kinetics

Room Temperature Continuous Wave InGaSsN Quantum Well Vertical Cavity Lasers Emitting at 1.3 um

Selectively oxidized vertical cavity lasers emitting at 1294 nm using InGaAsN quantum wells are reported for the first time which operate continuous wave at and above room temperature. The lasers employ two n-type Al{sub 0.94}Ga{sub 0.06}As/GaAs distributed Bragg reflectors each with a selectively oxidized current aperture adjacent to the optical cavity, and the top output mirror contains a tunnel junction to inject holes into the active region. Continuous wave single mode lasing is observed up to 55 C. These lasers exhibit the longest wavelength reported to date for vertical cavity surface emitting lasers grown on GaAs substrates