Towards a Si/SiGe quantum cascade laser for terahertz applications

Paul, D. et al. (2004) Towards a Si/SiGe quantum cascade laser for terahertz applications. MRS Proceedings, 832, (doi: 10.1557/PROC-832-F4.1)

Abstract

While electroluminescence has been demonstrated at terahertz frequencies from Si/SiGe quantum cascade emitters, to date no laser has been achieved due to poor vertical confinement of the optical mode. A method of increasing the vertical confinement of the optical mode for a Si/SiGe quantum cascade laser is demonstrated using silicon-on-silicide technology. Such technology is used with epitaxial growth to demonstrate a strain-symmetrised 600 period Si/SiGe quantum cascade interwell emission and the polarisation is used to demonstrate the optical confinement. Electroluminescence is demonstrated at ∼3 THz (∼100 μm) from an interwell quantum cascade emitter structure. Calculated model overlap and waveguide losses for ridge waveguides are comparable to values from GaAs quantum cascade lasers demonstrated at terahertz frequencies. The effects of high doping levels in Si/SiGe quantum cascade structures is also investigated with impurity emission demonstrated rather than intersubband emission for the highest doping levels used in the cascade active regions.

• Item Type: Articles (Letter)
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Paul, Professor Douglas
• Authors: Paul, D., Lynch, S.A., Townsend, P., Ikonic, Z., Kelsall, R.W., Harrison, P., Liew, S.L., Norris, D.J., Cullis, A.G., Zhang, J., Bain, M., Gamble, H.S., Tribe, W.R., and Arnone, D.D.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Research Group: Semiconductor Devices
• Journal Name: MRS Proceedings
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press