Quantum-confined field-effect light emitters: device physics and experiments

Extended experimental results on three-terminal quantum-confined field-effect light emitters with current injection and field control of luminescent characteristics in the quantum-well structure are reported. By incorporating superlattice buffer layers (SLBLs), the quantum efficiency of the device is dramatically improved and equivalently nonradiative recombination processes are sufficiently suppressed at room temperature. The red-shift of the emission spectra by the quantum-confined Stark effect assures that the electric field is effectively applied to the quantum well. The experimental data on the transient responses of emission intensity to input voltage pulses show fairly good correspondences with theoretical prediction and previous photoluminescence experiments. The authors discuss the ultimate capability of high-speed switching and point that an optical pulse with a duration as short as 30 ps and involving more than 100 photons can be generated by scaling down the size of the device with 1% external efficiency