Interband absorption strength in long-wave infrared type-II superlattices with small and large superlattice periods compared to bulk materials

Journal Article · Mon May 30 04:00:00 EDT 2016 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4953035· OSTI ID:22590729

Vurgaftman, I. ^[1]; Lin, Y.; Donetsky, D.; Shterengas, L.; Kipshidze, G. ^[2]; Sarney, W. L.; Svensson, S. P. ^[3]

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1. Code 5613, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)
2. Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York 11794 (United States)
3. U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Rd., Adelphi, Maryland 20783 (United States)

The absorption spectra for the antimonide-based type-II superlattices (SLs) for detection in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) are calculated and compared to the measured data for SLs and bulk materials with the same energy gap (HgCdTe and InAsSb). We include the results for the metamorphic InAsSb{sub x}/InAsSb{sub y} SLs with small periods as well as the more conventional strain-balanced InAs/Ga(In)Sb and InAs/InAsSb SLs on GaSb substrates. The absorption strength in small-period metamorphic SLs is similar to the bulk materials, while the SLs with an average lattice constant matched to GaSb have significantly lower absorption. This is because the electron-hole overlap in the strain-balanced type-II LWIR SLs occurs primarily in the hole well, which constitutes a relatively small fraction of the total thickness.

• OSTI ID: 22590729
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 22 Vol. 108; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
DETECTION
ENERGY GAP
GALLIUM ANTIMONIDES
HOLES
INDIUM ARSENIDES
LATTICE PARAMETERS
STRAINS
SUBSTRATES
SUPERLATTICES
THICKNESS