Phonon-assisted recombination and stimulated emission in quantum-well Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/As-GaAs heterostructures

Journal Article · Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · J. Appl. Phys.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.327818· OSTI ID:5619128

Holonyak, N Jr; Kolbas, R M; Laidig, W D; Vojak, B A; Hess, K; Dupuis, R D; Dapkus, P D

Extensive data are presented on various photopumped multiple-quantum-well Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/ As-GaAs heterostructures, grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, showing the variety of laser operation that can be observed one and two phonons below the lowest (n=1, n'=1') confined-particle electron-to-heavy-hole (e..-->..hh, n) and electron-to-light-hole (e..-->..lh, n') recombination transitions. These experiments are performed on small cleaved rectangular samples that, because of two identifiable sets of orthogonal coupled modes, permit unambiguous identification of laser operation on LO-phonon sidebands below the confined-particle transitions. For a small number (two) of closely coupled (approx.50 A) GaAs quantum wells of size L/sub z/ approx.50 A laser operation occurs on multiples of h..omega../sub LO/ from one phonon below transition n=1 (E/sub 1/) to within a phonon or two of the L indirect band edge. Al/sub x/Ga/sub 1-x/ As-GaAs heterostructures with more coupled GaAs quantum wells readily permit observation of laser operation two phonons below the lowest confined-particle transitions. Besides the use of size to reduce carrier scattering to lower energies in a GaAs quantum well, high Zn doping is used to screen and reduce the electron-phonon interaction and thus reduce the carrier scattering to lower energies. The strong phonon participation in the laser operation of these quantum-well heterostructures, which are not superlattices, demonstrates that the electron-phonon interaction observed in this work is a true two-dimensional effect (and not, e.g., the effect of Brillouin-zone folding). An analysis and arguments are presented justifying this statement and, in addition, leading to the important conclusion that stimulated phonon emission is possible and might play (or likely plays) a role in the quantum-well heterostructures of this work.

• Research Organization: Department of Electrical Engineering and Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
• OSTI ID: 5619128
• Journal Information: J. Appl. Phys.; (United States), Vol. 51:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
ALUMINIUM ARSENIDES
CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION
CRYSTAL GROWTH
DATA
ELECTRONS
GALLIUM ARSENIDES
HOLES
OSCILLATION MODES
PHONONS
QUANTUM MECHANICS
RECOMBINATION
STIMULATED EMISSION
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ARSENIC COMPOUNDS
ARSENIDES
CHEMICAL COATING
DEPOSITION
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
FERMIONS
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
LASERS
LEPTONS
MECHANICS
PNICTIDES
QUASI PARTICLES
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SURFACE COATING
420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)