Population inversion between subbands in simple periodical GaAs/AlAs superlattices

Author

Domoto, C. ; Vaccaro, P.O. ; Ohtani, N.

Author_Institution

ATR Adaptive Commun. Res. Labs., Kyoto, Japan

Volume

147

Issue

3

fYear

2000

fDate

6/1/2000 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

225

Lastpage

228

Abstract

Photoluminescence (PL) from type-I GaAs-AlAs superlattices (SLs) have been studied under an electric field. In such SLs the AlAs layer, which is the barrier for the Γ subbands, is the quantum well for the X electron subbands. The X subbands in the AlAs barriers have a large density of subbands, and have a great influence on carrier transport even in type-I GaAs/AlAs SLs. Furthermore, the X subbands can be expected to be useful for carrier injection into a higher Γ subband using X-Γ resonance because PL from transitions between higher Γ subbands and hhl has been observed. Intersubband population inversion in simple periodical GaAs/AlAs SLs is presented using X-Γ resonance. Interband PL measurement and calculation of the overlap integral between electrons and hole subbands confirm the intersubband population inversion. Carrier injection into higher subbands using X-Γ resonance is expected to be useful for achieving simple quantum cascade laser structures

Keywords

III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; carrier mobility; gallium arsenide; photoluminescence; population inversion; semiconductor superlattices; Γ subbands; AlAs barriers; AlAs layer; GaAs-AlAs; X electron subbands; X subbands; X-Γ resonance; carrier injection; carrier transport; electric field; interband PL measurement; intersubband population inversion; large subband density; periodical GaAs-AlAs superlattices; photoluminescence; population inversion; quantum well; simple quantum cascade laser structures; subbands;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Optoelectronics, IEE Proceedings -

Publisher

iet

ISSN

1350-2433

Type

jour

DOI

10.1049/ip-opt:20000562

Filename

860925