Luminescence characteristics of single and multiple aluminum gallium arsenide: gallium arsenide quantum-well heterostructure lasers

Thesis/Dissertation · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5255167

Kolbas, R M

Photopumped single quantum-well Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As-GaAs-Al/sub x/-Ga/sub 1-x/As (x approx. 0.6, L/sub z/=well width approx. 200 A) heterostructures are shown to operate (77/sup 0/K) on confined-particle transitions from the infrared to the red (6885 A, ..delta..lambda approx. 1300 A, ..delta..E identical with anti h..omega..-E/sub g/ approx. 293 MeV). Two fundamental limitations of single quantum-well AlGaAs-GaAs heterostructures are identified. The first is concerned with the highest energy emission obtainable, and is related to the position of the L indirect minima in GaAs. The location of the first indirect conduction band minima (L minima) is determined by a luminescence (emission) technique and is found to be approx. 294 MeV above the GAMMA band edge at 4.3/sup 0/K. The second limitation involves the loss of luminescence efficiency as the well thickness L/sub z/ approaches the carrier scattering path length l/sub p/, where l/sub p/ approx. 63 A is the electron scattering length with longitudinal optical (LO) phonons. In addition, the band discontinuities between AlGaAs and GaAs are measured by a technique based on the recombination of free electrons in the AlGaAs with bound holes in the GaAs well. The origin of quantum-well recombination radiation below the lowest allowed confined-article transition is discussed and is identified as phonon-assisted recombination. Phonon involvement is also shown to occur throughout the entire direct-gap range of these quantum-well heterostructures. In addition, data are presented indicating that the electron-phonon interaction is enhanced as the number of coupled quantum wells in the active region is increased. A qualitative analysis and discussion of the observed electron-phonon interaction are presented.

• OSTI ID: 5255167
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
430300* -- Particle Accelerators-- Auxiliaries & Components
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
COATINGS
EFFICIENCY
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
HETEROJUNCTIONS
JUNCTIONS
LASERS
LUMINESCENCE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OPTICAL PUMPING
PERFORMANCE
PHONONS
PNICTIDES
PUMPING
QUASI PARTICLES
RECOMBINATION
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
VAPOR DEPOSITED COATINGS