Carrier relaxation in quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot laser structures: consequences for gain compression and high-speed performance

Igor Vurgaftman; Y. Lam; Pallab Bhattacharya; Jasprit Singh

doi:10.1117/12.178518

30 June 1994 Carrier relaxation in quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot laser structures: consequences for gain compression and high-speed performance

Igor Vurgaftman, Y. Lam, Pallab Bhattacharya, Jasprit Singh

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 2146, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices II; (1994) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.178518
Event: OE/LASE '94, 1994, Los Angeles, CA, United States

Abstract

In semiconductor lasers, hot carriers are injected into the active region of the device, and their thermalization is essential for the laser performance. In this work, carrier thermalization is studied for quantum well, wire and dot laser stuctures. Low threshold considerations dictate the transition from bulk to quantum well to quantum wire to quantum dot systems. However, we find that carrier thermalization times increase as the dimensionality of the structures is reduced. The equilibration times are approximately equals 1 ps in bulk, approximately equals 10 ps in quantum wells, approximately equals 30 ps in quantum wires and approximately equals 100 ps in quantum dots. The increase of the thermalization times is responsible for serious limitations of the high-speed response of the quantum-confined laser structures. The implications of the slow carrier thermalization are discussed.

Citation Download Citation

Igor Vurgaftman, Y. Lam, Pallab Bhattacharya, and Jasprit Singh "Carrier relaxation in quantum well, quantum wire and quantum dot laser structures: consequences for gain compression and high-speed performance", Proc. SPIE 2146, Physics and Simulation of Optoelectronic Devices II, (30 June 1994); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.178518

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