Diffused Quantum Well Structures: Advances in Materials and Device Realizations

ABSTRACTThe Diffused Quantum Well (DFQW) structures created by both impurity induced and impurity free or vacancy promoted processes have recently been advanced to a higher level. The interdiffusion mechanism is no longer confined to two constituent atoms, but consists of two or multiple phase interdiffusion as well as multiple species, such as three cations interdiffusion and two pairs of cation-anion interdiffusion. Results show that the outcome of these interdiffusions is quite different. For instance, both compressive or tensile strain materials and both blue or red shifts in the bandgap can be achieved dependent on the type of interdiffusion. The advantage of being able to tune the material properties allows the realizations of higher performance lasers and modulators. Two lasing wavelengths (60 nm apart) are produced at λ ∼ 1.55μm, on the same substrate, with threshold currents of 290mA, and an extremely large relative reflectance change (over 10000) is predicted with power consumption reduced by 67%. A six fold enhancement of the third order susceptibility over that of the bulk materials can be achieved by using the inter-subband transitions in the DFQW at λ ∼ μm. Broadband (1000nm) detectors have also been realized due to the wide DFQW spectral bandwidth. Several state-of-the-art results of the DFQW will be summarized with an emphasis on the future developments and directions of the DFQW.