Improvement of optical and electronic properties in broken gap mid-wave infrared laser materials

Summary form only given. Midwave Infrared (MWIR) laser materials based on InAs/Ga(In)Sb broken-gap superlattices (SLs) and quantum wells have been attractive due to their potential superior performance. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of these materials, however, has been challenging because intermixing mechanisms can occur at the interfaces due to the non-common atom nature of InAs/Ga(In)Sb structures. These mechanisms include cross incorporation, segregation, and exchange. The induced interface roughness and the presence of the resultant non-radiative impurities deteriorate the optical and transport properties of these materials. Hence, control of the interface composition and uniformity has been critical to the reduction of these impurities in the broken-gap structures.