1.3-µm InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers monolithically grown on Si substrates using InAlAs/GaAs dislocation filter layers.

We compare InAlAs/GaAs and InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer superlattices (SLSs) as dislocation filter layers for 1.3-µm InAs/GaAs quantum-dot laser structures directly grown on Si substrates. InAlAs/GaAs SLSs are found to be more effective than InGaAs/GaAs SLSs in blocking the propagation of threading dislocations generated at the interface between the GaAs buffer layer and the Si substrate. Room-temperature lasing at ~1.27 µm with a threshold current density of 194 A/cm(2) and output power of ~77 mW has been demonstrated for broad-area lasers grown on Si substrates using InAlAs/GaAs dislocation filter layers.

Tuning quantum dot luminescence below the bulk band gap using tensile strain.

Self-assembled quantum dots (SAQDs) grown under biaxial tension could enable novel devices by taking advantage of the strong band gap reduction induced by tensile strain. Tensile SAQDs with low optical transition energies could find application in the technologically important area of mid-infrared optoelectronics. In the case of Ge, biaxial tension can even cause a highly desirable crossover from an indirect- to a direct-gap band structure. However, the inability to grow tensile SAQDs without dislocations has impeded progress in these directions. In this article, we demonstrate a method to grow dislocation-free, tensile SAQDs by employing the unique strain relief mechanisms of (110)-oriented surfaces. As a model system, we show that tensile GaAs SAQDs form spontaneously, controllably, and without dislocations on InAlAs(110) surfaces. The tensile strain reduces the band gap in GaAs SAQDs by ~40%, leading to robust type-I quantum confinement and photoluminescence at energies lower than that of bulk GaAs. This method can be extended to other zinc blende and diamond cubic materials to form novel optoelectronic devices based on tensile SAQDs.

Effects of rapid thermal annealing on the optical properties of strain-free quantum ring solar cells.

Strain-free GaAs/Al0.33Ga0.67As quantum rings are fabricated by droplet epitaxy. Both photoresponse and photoluminescence spectra confirm optical transitions in quantum rings, suggesting that droplet epitaxial nanomaterials are applicable to intermediate band solar cells. The effects of post-growth annealing on the quantum ring solar cells are investigated, and the optical properties of the solar cells with and without thermal treatment are characterized by photoluminescence technique. Rapid thermal annealing treatment has resulted in the significant improvement of material quality, which can be served as a standard process for quantum structure solar cells grown by droplet epitaxy.

State filling dependent luminescence in hybrid tunnel coupled dot-well structures.

A strong dependence of quantum dot (QD)-quantum well (QW) tunnel coupling on the energy band alignment is established in hybrid InAs/GaAs-In(x)Ga(1-x)As/GaAs dot-well structures by changing the QW composition to shift the QW energy through the QD wetting layer (WL) energy. Due to this coupling a rapid carrier transfer from the QW to the QD excited states takes place. As a result, the QW photoluminescence (PL) completely quenches at low excitation intensities. The threshold intensities for the appearance of the QW PL strongly depend on the relative position of the QW excitonic energy with respect to the WL ground state and the QD ground state energies. These intensities decrease by orders of magnitude as the energy of the QW increases to approach that of the WL due to the increased efficiency for carrier tunneling into the WL states as compared to the less dense QD states below the QW energy.

Near infrared broadband emission of In0.35Ga0.65As quantum dots on high index GaAs surfaces.

The morphology and optical properties of In(0.35)Ga(0.65)As/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown on (210), (311)A, (711)A, (731) and (100) substrates are investigated. QDs formed on (210) and (731) oriented substrates are grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Regular QDs are observed on (100), (311)A, and (711)A. Randomly distributed QDs and comet-shaped QDs form on (210) and (731) substrates, respectively. A high density of QDs on the order of 10(11) cm(-2) are obtained from (711)A. The optical measurement shows a spectrum linewidth (FWHM = 74.3 nm) of QDs on GaAs (210) three times wider than GaAs (100) substrate. Long exciton decay times, over 1 ns, are also measured by time-resolved photoluminescence technique for all samples. Our results demonstrate the potential for QDs on GaAs high index substrates for wideband applications.

Multilayers of InGaAs Nanostructures Grown on GaAs(210) Substrates.

Multilayers of InGaAs nanostructures are grown on GaAs(210) by molecular beam epitaxy. With reducing the thickness of GaAs interlayer spacer, a transition from InGaAs quantum dashes to arrow-like nanostructures is observed by atomic force microscopy. Photoluminescence measurements reveal all the samples of different spacers with good optical properties. By adjusting the InGaAs coverage, both one-dimensional and two-dimensional lateral ordering of InGaAs/GaAs(210) nanostructures are achieved.

Intersublevel infrared photodetector with strain-free GaAs quantum dot pairs grown by high-temperature droplet epitaxy.

Normal incident photodetection at mid infrared spectral region is achieved using the intersublevel transitions from strain-free GaAs quantum dot pairs in Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As matrix. The GaAs quantum dot pairs are fabricated by high temperature droplet epitaxy, through which zero strain quantum dot pairs are obtained from lattice matched materials. Photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation optical spectroscopy, and visible-near-infrared photoconductivity measurement are carried out to study the electronic structure of the photodetector. Due to the intersublevel transitions from GaAs quantum dot pairs, a broadband photoresponse spectrum is observed from 3 to 8 microm with a full width at half-maximum of approximately 2.0 microm.