History and Developments of Semiconductor Lasers

A brief history of the creation of semiconductor lasers is presented. Basic attention is given to injection lasers including homo- and heterojunction laser diodes, quantum-well heterostructures, quantum cascade systems, etc. General steps in the development of the semiconductor lasers and inventions in the injection lasers are described. Theory modeling the spectral and output characteristics of the laser semiconductor sources is discussed. Set of applied semiconductor materials for laser technology and techniques and number of corresponding lasing wavelengths are listed. In addition, principal fields of application of semiconductor lasers and as well as growing total volume in the laser market are involved. Modern trends in semiconductor quantum electronics are also grounded

Abnormal Character of the Diffusivity-mobility Ratio in Doping Superlattices

The influence of high level of doping in type n-i-p-i crystal structures on electron and hole state distributions is examined. Abnormal behaviour in the diffusivity- mobility ratio due to shortening of the density state tails under excitation of doping Superlattices is described

Production of broadband modal gain spectra in asymmetric multiple quantum-well Ga0.47In0.53As/Ga0.18In0.82As0.4P0.6 heterostructures

The modal gain spectra of asymmetric multiple quantum-well Ga0.47In0.53As/Ga0.18In0.82As0.4P0.6 hetero- structures are theoretically analysed within the framework of the four-band kp method. An efficient procedure for obtaining the broadband and almost êat gain spectrum is proposed. The designs of semiconductor radiation sources with different sets of nonuniformly excited quantum wells producing broadband amplification in spectral ranges from 1.28 to 1.525 \mu m and from 1.36 to 1.6 \mu m are calculated

Calculation of energy characteristics for Si1-xGex-Si strucrures with single quantum wells

Energy characteristics of Si1–xGex–Si quantum-size structures with single quantum wells were calculated numerically based on a four-band k⋅p method. Analytical expressions for the Luttinger parameters are obtained as functions of the component composition of Si1–xGex compounds. Analytical expressions for the energy h−ω of optical band-to-band transitions are obtained in an effective mass approximation and agree well with numerical calculations by the k⋅p method. This allows one to determine accurately a range of changes while varying the component compositions and thickness of the active and barrier layers

Carrier transport and screening in n-i-p-i crystals

The variation of the energy spectrum of n-i-p-i crystals under excitation was examined and the influence of the reduction of the screening length on the ratio between the coefficient of diffusion and the mobility of the current carriers was established. It is shown that the filling of subband states by carriers results in an anomalous behaviour of the diffusivity-mobility ratio. The effect occurs in the electric quantum limit and at room temperature as well

Nonlinear gain and bistability in photonic crystal heterostructures with compositional and doping superlattices

Optical properties of photonic crystal heterostructures with embedded n–i–p–i superlattices are studied. Nonlinear behavior of the transmission and reflection spectra near the defect mode is investigated. Self-consistent calculations of the output performance characteristics are performed using the transfer-matrix method and taking into account the gain saturation. Features and characteristic parameters of the nonlinear gain in active n–i–p–i layers are determined. Detail analysis of the gain saturation and accompanying nonlinear refraction effects is carried out for one-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers in the GaAs–GaInP system having at the central part an active “defect” from the doubled GaAs n-i-p-i crystal. The gain saturation in the active layers in the vicinity of the defect changes the index contrast of the photonic structure and makes worse the emission at the defect mode. Spectral bistability effect which can be exhibited in photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers is predicted and the hysteresis loop and other attending phenomena are described. The bistability behavior and modulation response efficiency demonstrate the potential possibilities of the photonic crystal heterostructures with n-i-p-i layers as high-speed optical amplifiers and switches

Nonlinearities in the reflection and transmission spectra of the photonic bandgap heterostructures with n–i–p–i crystals

Nonlinear optical properties of photonic crystal heterostructures with embedded n–i–p–i superlattices are investigated. Self-consistent calculations of the transmission and reflection spectra near the defect mode are performed using the transfer-matrix method and taking into account the gain saturation. Analysis of features and output characteristics is carried out for one-dimensional photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers in the GaAs–GaInP system having at the central part an active “defect” from doubled GaAs n–i–p–i crystal layers. The gain saturation in the active layers in the vicinity of the defect changes the index contrast of the photonic structure and makes worse the emission at the defect mode. Spectral bistability effect, which can be exhibited in photonic crystal heterostructure amplifiers, is predicted and the hysteresis loop and other attending phenomena are described. The bistability behavior and modulation response efficiency demonstrate the potential possibilities of the photonic crystal heterostructures with n–i–p–i layers as high-speed optical amplifiers and switches

Optoelectronic properties and characteristics of doping superlattices

Optical and electric properties of doping superlattices, or n-i-p-i crystals, can be varied in a wide range under excitation and through the choice of the thicknesses and doping of the crystal layers. Some basic results concerned the transformation of the electron energy spectrum of doping superlattices are summarized. Parameters and characteristics of doping superlattices related to optoelectronics devices, such as photodetectors, laser diodes, and optical modulators, are presented

Multiple-wavelength lasing in one-dimensional bandgap structures: implementation with active n–i–p–i layers

We study the optical localized states in a one-dimensional system of strongly coupled defect microcavities for the case when a tight-binding approximation is not valid. Transmission and electromagnetic mode density spectra as well as the distribution of light intensity inside the bandgap material are investigated. We report on the effect of splitting the fundamental coupled-cavity mode into several high-Q submodes to support perfect transmission of light at low group-velocity values. New types of laser microcavities that provide low-threshold lasing at multiple wavelengths and in opposite directions are proposed. Possible implementation of the laser systems with active n–i–p–i layers is discussed