We will give an overview of the progress in ultraviolet-emitting vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) and their potential applications in areas such as disinfection and medical therapy. This includes our demonstration of the shortest wavelength VCSEL, emitting at 310 nm under optical pumping, and a detailed analysis of its filamentary lasing characteristics. The UVB-emitting AlGaN-based VCSEL was realized by substrate removal using electrochemical etching, enabling the use of two high-reflectivity dielectric distributed Bragg reflectors. The potential of using this or alternative methods to push the emission to shorter wavelengths will be examined as well as concepts to realize electrically injected devices.
In this work we show successful metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) of an AlN/AlGaN distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) that is wavelength matched to GaN quantum dots (QDs) in an AlGaN lambda cavity on top. Full insight into the growth of these structures enables the epitaxy of resonant cavity deep UV single photon emitters.
The DBR was grown on an AlN/sapphire template. In order to obtain a high reflectivity as well as a sufficiently large stopband width, the refractive index contrast needs to be maximized. Additionally, the absorption of QD emission in the high gallium containing layer needs to be minimized. A compromise was found for nominal Al-concentration of 70 % in the AlGaN layers. The resulting DBR splits up into self-organized AlN/Al(X)Ga(1-X)N/Al(Y)Ga(1-Y)N trilayers, which add up to desired lambda/2-periods. Therefore, the stopband at 272 nm with a width of 6 nm shows a maximum reflectivity of 99.7 %.
GaN QDs were obtained by growth of GaN on AlGaN for 10 s with a V/III-ratio of 30 followed by a growth interruption of 30 s. The QDs exhibit sharp emission lines with a FWHM down to 1 meV in µ-PL measurements. The main intensity of the QD ensemble emission is in the range of 250 nm to 275 nm.
Finally, spatially resolved low temperature CL measurements show resonant DBR-enhanced GaN QD emission at 271 nm showing successful wavelength match between a AlN/AlGaN deep UV DBR and GaN QDs in an AlGaN lambda-cavity on top.
A strong limitation for the quantum efficiency of group III-nitride based light emitters is the spatial electron-hole separation due to the quantum-confined Stark effect (QCSE). To overcome this problem, Hönig et al. [1] proposed a concept, the Internal-Field-Guarded-Active-Region Design (IFGARD), which enables quasi electric-field free active regions in polar heterostructures. Here, we show how the encapsulation of the active region by additional guard layers results in a strong reduction of the built-in electric field in c-plane wurtzite nanostructures. In particular, we demonstrate experimental evidence for the successful realization of an IFGARD structure based on GaN/AlN heterostructures embedded in GaN nanowires. By means of power-dependent and time-resolved µ-photoluminescence (µ-PL) we experimentally proof the validity of the IFGARD structure. We managed to tune the emission of 4-nm-thick GaN nano-discs up to 3.32 eV at low excitation powers, which is just 150 meV below the bulk GaN bandgap [2]. Our results demonstrate an almost complete elimination of the QCSE in comparison to conventional structures which show approximately 1 eV red-shifted emission. The reduction of the QCSE results in a significant increase of the radiative exciton decay rates by orders of magnitude and demonstrates the potential of IFGARD structures for future light sources based on polar heterostructures.
[1] Hönig et al., Phys. Rev. Applied 7, 024004 (2017)
[2] Schlichting et al., arXiv:1707.06882 (2017).
In this paper the properties of excitons and phonons in doped GaN is reviewed. We demonstrate that in heavy Ge doped GaN new quasi particle can be stabilized. Furthermore, we discuss and use the observation of local phonon modes to clarify the incorporation of germanium, silicon, carbon, and transition metal ions on different lattice places in the nitride material.
We review recent advances in the understanding of the green gap phenomenon, the drastic reduction of quantum efficiency of c-plane InGaN/GaN light-emitting diodes (LEDs) towards the green spectral region. In particular, we have decoupled the contributions of Shockley-Read-Hall recombination, quantum-confined Stark effect and hole localization in the random alloy. We show that the latter, significantly increasing with Indium content, plays a crucial role in the reduction of efficiency, as localized holes do not only possess lower overlap with delocalized electrons in the quantum well, but also appear to enhance Auger recombination.
For our study we use an electro-optical pump and probe scheme[1], which is most suitable to obtain differential carrier lifetimes in device operating conditions. In combination with conventional pulsed electroluminescence measurements, the internal quantum efficiency and recombination rates of the different processes can be determined. Temperature-dependent analyses then allow to assign recombination losses to the different underlying limitations (i.e. random alloying, polarity, defect density)[2].
[1] F. Nippert et al., Japanese Journal of Applied Physics 55, 05FJ01 (2016)
[2] F. Nippert et al., Applied Physics Letters 109, 161103 (2016)
We address the electronic, phononic, and thermal properties of oxide based superlattices and multi quantum well heterostructures. In the first part, we review the present understanding of phonon coupling and phonon propagation in superlattices and elucidate current research aspects of phonon coherence in these structure. Subsequently, we focus on the experimental study of MBE grown ZnO/ZnMgO multi quantum well heterostructures with varying Mg content, barrier thickness, quantum well thickness, and number of periods. In particular, we discuss how the controlled variation of these parameters affect the phonon dispersion relation and phonon propagation and their impact on the thermal properties.
Two dimensional homoepitaxial growth of high quality ZnO epilayers was achieved by chemical vapor deposition
techniques without a buffer layer. We report on the optical and structural properties of these epilayers with particular
focus on the polarity of the surface of the substrate. Photoluminescence spectra exhibit strong dependence of the bound
exciton recombinations on the termination of the substrate. This is particularly pronounced in the large variety of
transition lines in the O-face terminated sample with values for the full width at half maximum as low as 80μeV. Cross-sectional
micro Raman spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy reveal the presence of strain
in the epilayer grown on O-face ZnO by a shift of the non-polar E2(high) mode and a variation in the lattice constant
ratio. Still, the crystal quality of the films is further increased compared to the substrate, which is shown be a half-width
of 17" of the XRD rocking curve in both epilayers on Zn-face and O-face terminated ZnO substrate.
The characterization by various experimental techniques of homoepitaxial growth and photonic properties of ZnO
epilayers was exhaustively analyzed. The photonic properties of ZnO as promising material for the realization of
polariton lasers were investigated by angular dependent reflection spectroscopy. The fitting of the polariton dispersion
curve with the experimental results provided us information about the longitudinal-transverse exciton-polariton splitting
and damping constants. In addition, the valence band symmetry was examined by angular resolved magneto-optical
photoluminescence. From our theoretical and experimental results we extracted evidence that the topmost A valence
band possesses Г7 symmetry. Micro-Raman spectroscopy revealed even in homoepitaxially grown samples the existence
of compressive or tensile strain which varied not only in the ZnO layers but also in the templates. In contrast, the
untreated substrates were uniformly strained. Sporadically crystal perturbations culminating in the formation of separated
growth domains were observed. Additionally, resonant Raman scattering was performed, showing a strong enhancement
of the 2E1(LO) mode for resonant excitation of the I8 bound exciton complex. We suggest that the resonant Raman
scattering led to a longer lifetime of the resonantly excited phonon mode due to a strong exciton-phonon interaction.
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