The internal quantum efficiency (IQE) is a key property of light-emitting semiconductor structures. We critically review the most popular methods for determining the IQE. In particular, we discuss the impact of low- temperature non-radiative recombination on temperature-dependent CW photoluminescence measurements. Using temperature-dependent time-resolved photoluminescence we establish a method to verify 100 % IQE at low temperature and thus to obtain absolute internal quantum efficiencies at all temperatures.
Efficient radiative recombination is one of the key properties enabling high performance light emitting devices. We have performed an in-depth experimental analysis of radiative recombination in polar, nonpolar, and semipolar III-nitride quantum wells (QWs), which allows us to elucidate and quantify its mechanisms. We are able to distinguish between localized and free exciton recombination, we clearly see the effect of polarization fields via the quantum-confined Stark effect, and we observe the effect of the valence band structure associated with crystal orientation and strain.
The efficiency droop in nitride LEDs is currently attributed to either carrier-density-dependent nonradiative recombination or to carrier leakage, both being discussed in terms of a single-particle picture. Our time-resolved photoluminescence results show that the radiative lifetime is independent of carrier density, while the nonradiative lifetime scales with the inverse of the carrier density. This can not be understood in a single-particle model. By means of a many-particle theory approach we obtain a consistent picture with both radiative and Auger recombination enhanced by excitonic electron-hole correlation. In the high carrier density limit single-particle radiative and Auger recombination are recovered.
In this contribution, we quantitatively investigate nonradiative recombination due to argon implantation induced point defects in GaInN/GaN quantum wells via time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy. A significant reduction of carrier lifetimes in the QW is observed already for implantation doses of 1 × 1011 cm-2 and higher due to nonradiative recombination at implantation defects. These new nonradiative processes exhibit thermal activation energies below 40 meV, therefore being a dominant loss mechanism at room temperature. The thermal stability of the defects has been analyzed using rapid thermal annealing (RTA) at 800°C and 850°C. We find a partial recovery of the nonradiative lifetimes after RTA indicating an elimination of some defects.
The resonator orientation of InGaN-based lasers on semipolar planes influences the optical polarization and the
gain. We present gain measurements of semipolar (11-22) laser structures with differently oriented resonators and
for various polarization states. The optical polarization state and the thresholds for lasers on different semipolar
and nonpolar orientations are compared. The experimental results are accompanied by numerical calculations of
the material gain as well as investigation of the surface morphology and resulting waveguide losses in dependence
of the crystal orientation.
We observe ultrafast polarization dynamics in strongly internally biased InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells during intense femtosecond optical excitation by means of time-resolved detection of THz emission, correlated with time-integrated photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrate that in the case of strong enough excitation the built-in bias field (on the order of MV/cm) can be completely screened by the carriers excited into spatially separated states. This ultrafast screening of the initial bias field across the quantum well leads to dynamical modification of the band structure of the sample, and consequently to dynamical modification of the optical absorption coefficient within the duration of the excitation pulse. We show that such an optically induced dynamical screening of the biased quantum well can be described in terms of discharging of a nano-scale capacitor with a femtosecond laser pulse. The electrostatic energy stored in the capacitor is released via THz emission. A realistic quantum-mechanical model of the temporal evolution of the polarization inside the quantum wells shows that due to its nonlinearity such a process may lead to emission of a THz pulse with bandwidth significantly exceeding that of the excitation pulse.
Understanding the mechanisms of optical gain in a semiconductor laser material is the key issue towards minimizing the threshold current density. For nitride-based laser structures, there has been a lively debate as to the role of fluctuations, polarization fields, and many-body effects in todays GalnN/GaN/AlGaN laser structures.
A thorough understanding of the fundamental materials properties forms the basis of any further consideration. We will then review the basic models, the theoretical approaches, and the available experimental evidence supporting the competing views of optical gain in the nitrides. The properties of guided optical modes in nitride waveguides will play an important role. A critical discussion of those results will finally allow us to discuss ultimate performance limits for laser diodes.
We demonstrate that the optical properties of GaInN/GaN/AlGaN quantum wells are governed to a large extent by the spontaneous and piezoelectric polarization fields arising from the strongly polar nature of wurtzite nitrides. The spontaneous emission from single quantum wells is strongly red-shifted and exhibits a very small oscillator strength, particularly for wide wells. In multiple quantum wells the electric fields lead to spatially highly indirect transitions between nearest and next nearest neighbor quantum wells. Screening of the fields due to injected carriers leads to a strong blue-shift of the emission. Internal fields due to spontaneous polarization are much more elusive than piezoelectric ones. By manipulating the surface coverage using an electron beam we demonstrate that such spontaneous fields in fact exist and that their direction is opposite to the piezoelectric fields. In this way, the emission of a nitride quantum well can be shifted by as much as 500 meV in a metastable manner. We discuss the impact of internal polarization fields on LED efficiency. We show that nonradiative recombination is subject to reduction by field effects in a similar manner as the radiative one.
In this article fabrication techniques and the analysis of AlGaInP semiconductor lasers for single mode emission and high power emission will be reported. Special emphasis will be spent on the appropriate vertical and longitudinal device structures. Furthermore we discuss low damage dry etching and epitaxial regrowth of DFB laser structures. The devices investigated are DBR- DFB- and MOPA-lasers.
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