Optical pulse generation in a transistor laser via intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling and excess base carrier redistribution

Journal Article · Mon Nov 02 00:00:00 EST 2015 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4935121· OSTI ID:22485983

Feng, M.; Iverson, E. W.; Wang, C. Y.; Holonyak, N. ^[1]

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1. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Micro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 208 N. Wright St., Urbana, Illinois 61801 (United States)

For a direct-gap semiconductor (e.g., a p-n junction), photon-assisted tunneling is known to exhibit a high nonlinear absorption. In a transistor laser, as discussed here, the coherent photons generated at the quantum well interact with the collector junction field and “assist” electron tunneling from base to collector, thus resulting in the nonlinear modulation of the laser and the realization of optical pulse generation. 1 and 2 GHz optical pulses are demonstrated in the transistor laser using collector voltage control.

• OSTI ID: 22485983
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 107, Issue 18; Other Information: (c) 2015 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
CARRIERS
CONTROL
GHZ RANGE 01-100
LASERS
MODULATION
NONLINEAR PROBLEMS
PHOTONS
P-N JUNCTIONS
PULSES
QUANTUM WELLS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
TRANSISTORS
TUNNEL EFFECT