Metal-cavity surface-emitting microlaser at room temperature

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 251101 (2010) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3455316.We propose and realize a substrate-free metal-cavity surface-emitting microlaser with both top and sidewall metal and a bottom distributed Bragg reflector as the cavity structure. The transfer-matrix method is used to design the laser structure based on the round-trip resonance condition inside the cavity. The laser is 2.0m in diameter and 2.5m in height, and operates at room temperature with continuous-wave mode. Flip-bonding the device to a silicon substrate with a conductive metal provides efficient heat removal. A high characteristic temperature about 425 K is observed from 10 to 27°C.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, Bauelement

High-power semiconductor disk laser based on InAs∕GaAs submonolayer quantum dots

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 101123 (2008) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2898165.An optically pumped semiconductor disk laser using submonolayer quantum dots (SML QDs) as gain medium is demonstrated. High-power operation is achieved with stacked InAs∕GaAs SML QDs grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy. Each SML-QD layer is formed from tenfold alternate depositions of nominally 0.5 ML InAs and 2.3 ML GaAs. Resonant periodic gain from a 13-fold nonuniform stack design of SML QDs allows to produce 1.4W cw at 1034nm. The disk laser demonstrates the promising potential of SML-QD structures combining properties of QD and quantum-well gain media for high-power applications.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, BauelementeEC/FP6/016769/EU/Nano-Photonics Materials and Technologies for Multicolor High-Power Sources/NATA

Temperature-stable operation of a quantum dot semiconductor disk laser

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Lett. 93, 051104 (2008) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2968137.We demonstrate temperature-independent output characteristics of an optically pumped semiconductor disk laser (SDL) based on quantum dots (QDs) grown in the Stranski-Krastanow regime. The gain structure consists of a stack of 7×3 QD layers, each threefold group being located at an optical antinode position. The SDL emits at 1210nm independent of the pump power density. Threshold and differential efficiency do not dependent on heat sink temperature. Continuous-wave operation close to 300mW output power is achieved using the ground-state transition of the InGaAs QDs.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, BauelementeEC/FP6/016769/EU/Nano-Photonics Materials and Technologies for Multicolor High-Power Sources/NATA

Electrically driven single photon source based on a site-controlled quantum dot with self-aligned current injection

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 211119 (2012) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4767525.Electrical operation of single photon emitting devices employing site-controlled quantum dot (QD) growth is demonstrated. An oxide aperture acting as a buried stressor structure is forcing site-controlled QD growth, leading to both QD self-alignment with respect to the current path in vertical injection pin-diodes and narrow, jitter-free emission lines. Emissions from a neutral exciton, a neutral bi-exciton, and a charged exciton are unambiguously identified. Polarization-dependent measurements yield an exciton fine-structure splitting of (84 ± 2) μeV at photon energies of 1.28–1.29 eV. Single-photon emission is proven by Hanbury Brown and Twiss experiments yielding an anti-bunching value of g(2)(0) = 0.05 under direct current injection.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, Bauelement

Lateral positioning of InGaAs quantum dots using a buried stressor

This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and AIP Publishing. This article appeared in Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 093111 (2012) and may be found at https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3691251.We present a “bottom-up” approach for the lateral alignment of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) based on strain-driven self-organization. A buried stressor formed by partial oxidation of (Al,Ga)As layers is employed in order to create a locally varying strain field at a GaAs(001) growth surface. During subsequent strained layer growth, local self-organization of (In,Ga)As QDs is controlled by the contour shape of the stressor. Large vertical separation of the QD growth plane from the buried stressor interface of 150 nm is achieved enabling high optical quality of QDs. Optical characterization confirms narrow QD emission lines without spectral diffusion.DFG, 43659573, SFB 787: Halbleiter - Nanophotonik: Materialien, Modelle, Bauelement

Design und Realisierung von neuartigen GaAs basierten Laser-Konzepten

Halbleiterlaser stellen die Grundlage für eine zunehmende Vielzahl von Anwendungen dar, die von der Informationsspeicherung und digitalen Kommunikation bis hin zur Materialbearbeitung reichen. Neuartige Konzepte überwinden bisherige Limitierungen und erschließen neue Anwendungsgebiete. Viele dieser Anwendungsgebiete verlangen nach kostengünstigen Bauelementen, die maximale Brillanz und hohe Ausgangsleistungen oder höchste Geschwindigkeiten erreichen. Diese Arbeit stellt dar, wie essentielle Leistungsmerkmale von Halbleiterlasern durch das Design von Nanostrukturen und epitaktischen Wachstumsprozessen maßgeschneidert werden können. Hierbei wird auf alle Schritte der Laserherstellung eingegangen, vom Design über das Wachstum der Nanostrukturen mittels metallorganischer Gasphasenepitaxie (MOVPE), bis hin zur Herstellung und Charakterisierung kompletter Bauelemente. Durch die Nutzung industrieller Standards können alle entwickelten Prozesse auch auf die Massenproduktion übertragen werden. Gepulster Hochleistungslaserbetrieb bis zu 8 W und eine extrem niedrige Schwellstromdichte von nur 66 A/cm^2 wird mit Quantenpunkt (QP)-basierten Kantenemittern bei 1.25 μm durch das verbesserte Verständnis des QP-Wachstumsprozesses erreicht. Dieser neue Wachstumsprozess ermöglicht Kantenemitter bei 1.3 μm für Telekommunikationsanwendungen auf Basis des etablierten InGaAs/GaAs Materialsystems. Im Zentrum dieses Fortschritts steht die detaillierte Untersuchung und Optimierung von nahezu allen Einzelschichten der Laserstruktur. Verschiedene Wellenleiterdesigns werden durch die Verwendung von AlGaAs oder InGaP Mantelschichten und verschiedenen Dotierprofilen präzise den unterschiedlichen Anforderungen angepasst, entwickelt und realisiert. Sogenannte vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSEL) ermöglichen Laserbetrieb im Dauerstrichmodus (CW) mit extrem hoher Leistung, perfekt zirkularsymmetrischer Strahlqualität und direkten Zugang zur Laserkavität. Das Konzept ist ideal für eine Vielzahl von Anwendungen, allerdings weisen konventionelle, quantenfilmbasierte VECSEL im Betrieb stets eine hohe Temperaturabhängigkeit auf. Hier werden erstmals VECSEL auf Basis von Submonolagenstrukturen und QP mittels MOVPE realisiert. Mit diesen optisch gepumpten VECSEL wird eine sehr große spektrale Bandbreite von 950 nm bis 1210 nm abgedeckt, wobei ein extrem temperaturstabiler Betrieb, aufgrund der Nutzung von QP, und Ausgangsleistungen bis zu 1,4 W CW erreicht werden. Um die physikalische Limitierung von direkt modulierten, so genannten vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers zu überwinden, wird ein neuartiges Design mit einem monolithisch integrierten elektro-optischen Modulator realisiert. Das Konzept zielt auf die Reflektivitätsmodulation des Auskoppelspiegels ab, um Limitierungen durch Ladungsträgertransport zu umgehen und höchste Modulationsgeschwindigkeiten zu erreichen. Schon erste Prototypen zeigen Leistungen geeignet für 6 Gb/s schnelle Datenübertragungen. Eine weiterführende Analyse der Modulationsmechanismen offenbart ein außerordentlich hohes, intrinsisches Bandbreitenpotential von bis zu 56 GHz.Semiconductor lasers represent the backbone for an increasing variety of applications ranging from information storage and communication, to material treatment. Novel concepts are pushing the limits and are enabling new application areas. Many of these areas demand low-cost laser devices with high-brilliance and high-power light output or high-speed performance. This thesis demonstrates how key performance characteristics of semiconductor lasers can be tailored using nanostructure design and epitaxial growth. All aspects of laser fabrication are discussed, from design to growth of nanostructures using metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy (MOVPE), to fabrication and characterization of complete devices. By employing industrial tools, all developed processes are compatible with mass production. Pulsed high power laser operation up to 8 W and a ultra-low lasing threshold of 66 A/cm^2 is achieved with electrically pumped quantum dots (QD)-based edge emitters at 1.25 μm due to an improved understanding of the QD growth process. This novel process enables 1.3 μm edge emitters for telecom applications in the established InGaAs/GaAs system. At the heart of these achievements is the careful investigation and optimization of nearly all layers of the laser device structure. Designs are altered and precisely tuned by employing AlGaAs or InGaP claddings and varied doping schemes in order to develop new waveguides to meet different requirements. High-power vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) promise continuous-wave (CW) lasing with perfect circular beam quality, plus direct access to the cavity. While the concept is ideal for a multitude of applications, conventional quantumwell based systems exhibit problematic temperature sensitivity during operation. Here, for the first time, VECSELs with sub-monolayer structures and QDs as active layers are realized by MOVPE. These optically pumped devices cover a wide spectral range from 950 nm to 1210 nm, and achieve excellent temperature-stable CW lasing due to the use of QDs and CW output powers of up to 1.4 W. In order to overcome the physical limitations of directly modulated vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, a novel concept with a monolithically integrated electro-optical modulator is realized. The concept investigates the possibility of modulating the reflectivity of the top mirror to achieve highest modulation speeds, which are not limited by carrier transport. First prototypes prove to be suitable for up to 6 Gb/s data transmission. Subsequent in-depth analysis of the modulation mechanisms reveals an outstanding intrinsic bandwidth potential of up to 56 Ghz

Exascale applications: skin in the game.

As noted in Wikipedia, skin in the game refers to having 'incurred risk by being involved in achieving a goal', where 'skin is a synecdoche for the person involved, and game is the metaphor for actions on the field of play under discussion'. For exascale applications under development in the US Department of Energy Exascale Computing Project, nothing could be more apt, with the skin being exascale applications and the game being delivering comprehensive science-based computational applications that effectively exploit exascale high-performance computing technologies to provide breakthrough modelling and simulation and data science solutions. These solutions will yield high-confidence insights and answers to the most critical problems and challenges for the USA in scientific discovery, national security, energy assurance, economic competitiveness and advanced healthcare. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Numerical algorithms for high-performance computational science'

Incidence of severe critical events in paediatric anaesthesia (APRICOT): a prospective multicentre observational study in 261 hospitals in Europe

Background Little is known about the incidence of severe critical events in children undergoing general anaesthesia in Europe. We aimed to identify the incidence, nature, and outcome of severe critical events in children undergoing anaesthesia, and the associated potential risk factors. Methods The APRICOT study was a prospective observational multicentre cohort study of children from birth to 15 years of age undergoing elective or urgent anaesthesia for diagnostic or surgical procedures. Children were eligible for inclusion during a 2-week period determined prospectively by each centre. There were 261 participating centres across 33 European countries. The primary endpoint was the occurence of perioperative severe critical events requiring immediate intervention. A severe critical event was defined as the occurrence of respiratory, cardiac, allergic, or neurological complications requiring immediate intervention and that led (or could have led) to major disability or death. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01878760. Findings Between April 1, 2014, and Jan 31, 2015, 31â127 anaesthetic procedures in 30â874 children with a mean age of 6·35 years (SD 4·50) were included. The incidence of perioperative severe critical events was 5·2% (95% CI 5·0â5·5) with an incidence of respiratory critical events of 3·1% (2·9â3·3). Cardiovascular instability occurred in 1·9% (1·7â2·1), with an immediate poor outcome in 5·4% (3·7â7·5) of these cases. The all-cause 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 10 in 10â000. This was independent of type of anaesthesia. Age (relative risk 0·88, 95% CI 0·86â0·90; p<0·0001), medical history, and physical condition (1·60, 1·40â1·82; p<0·0001) were the major risk factors for a serious critical event. Multivariate analysis revealed evidence for the beneficial effect of years of experience of the most senior anaesthesia team member (0·99, 0·981â0·997; p<0·0048 for respiratory critical events, and 0·98, 0·97â0·99; p=0·0039 for cardiovascular critical events), rather than the type of health institution or providers. Interpretation This study highlights a relatively high rate of severe critical events during the anaesthesia management of children for surgical or diagnostic procedures in Europe, and a large variability in the practice of paediatric anaesthesia. These findings are substantial enough to warrant attention from national, regional, and specialist societies to target education of anaesthesiologists and their teams and implement strategies for quality improvement in paediatric anaesthesia. Funding European Society of Anaesthesiology

Incidence of severe critical events in paediatric anaesthesia (APRICOT): a prospective multicentre observational study in 261 hospitals in Europe

Background Little is known about the incidence of severe critical events in children undergoing general anaesthesia in Europe. We aimed to identify the incidence, nature, and outcome of severe critical events in children undergoing anaesthesia, and the associated potential risk factors. Methods The APRICOT study was a prospective observational multicentre cohort study of children from birth to 15 years of age undergoing elective or urgent anaesthesia for diagnostic or surgical procedures. Children were eligible for inclusion during a 2-week period determined prospectively by each centre. There were 261 participating centres across 33 European countries. The primary endpoint was the occurence of perioperative severe critical events requiring immediate intervention. A severe critical event was defined as the occurrence of respiratory, cardiac, allergic, or neurological complications requiring immediate intervention and that led (or could have led) to major disability or death. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01878760. Findings Between April 1, 2014, and Jan 31, 2015, 31 127 anaesthetic procedures in 30 874 children with a mean age of 6.35 years (SD 4.50) were included. The incidence of perioperative severe critical events was 5.2% (95% CI 5.0-5.5) with an incidence of respiratory critical events of 3.1% (2.9-3.3). Cardiovascular instability occurred in 1.9% (1.7-2.1), with an immediate poor outcome in 5.4% (3.7-7.5) of these cases. The all-cause 30-day in-hospital mortality rate was 10 in 10 000. This was independent of type of anaesthesia. Age (relative risk 0.88, 95% CI 0.86-0.90; p<0.0001), medical history, and physical condition (1.60, 1.40-1.82; p<0.0001) were the major risk factors for a serious critical event. Multivariate analysis revealed evidence for the beneficial effect of years of experience of the most senior anaesthesia team member (0.99, 0.981-0.997; p<0.0048 for respiratory critical events, and 0.98, 0.97-0.99; p=0.0039 for cardiovascular critical events), rather than the type of health institution or providers. Interpretation This study highlights a relatively high rate of severe critical events during the anaesthesia management of children for surgical or diagnostic procedures in Europe, and a large variability in the practice of paediatric anaesthesia. These findings are substantial enough to warrant attention from national, regional, and specialist societies to target education of anaesthesiologists and their teams and implement strategies for quality improvement in paediatric anaesthesia