Measurement of Ultrafast Carrier Recombination Dynamics in Mid-Infrared Semiconductor Laser Material

Author

William T. Cooley

Date of Award

12-1997

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Department of Engineering Physics

First Advisor

Robert L. Hengehold, PhD

Abstract

Shockley-Read-Hall, radiative, and Auger recombination rates in mid-infrared laser structures are measured and reported using time resolved photoluminescence (TRPL) frequency upconversion. The mid-IR lasers studied were actual InAsSb/InAlAsSb multiple-quantum-well (MQW) diode lasers emitting near 3.3 micrometers which were previously characterized for laser performance. This effort extends the initial studies and reports on the carrier recombination dynamics. Shockley-Read-Hall, radiative and Auger recombination rates at low temperature (77 K) were measured and found to be A_SRH ≈ 10 x 10⁷sec^-1, B_rad ≈ 2 x 10^-10 cm³sec^-1 and C_Auger < 10^-29 cm⁶sec^-1 respectively, for each sample measured. At higher temperatures (150 K), the recombination rates were measured to be A_SRH ≈ 40 x 10⁷sec^-1 B_rad ≈ 0.78 x 10^-10 cm³sec^-1 and C_Auger <7.0 x 10^-28 cm⁶s^-1 respectively. The Auger coefficient reported here is significantly lower than previous reports on similar material from both theoretical and experimental investigations. This has significant implications for mid-IR laser research, in that Auger may not be the limiting problem.

AFIT Designator

AFIT-DS-ENP-97-10

DTIC Accession Number

ADA339036

Recommended Citation

Cooley, William T., "Measurement of Ultrafast Carrier Recombination Dynamics in Mid-Infrared Semiconductor Laser Material" (1997). Theses and Dissertations. 5798.
https://scholar.afit.edu/etd/5798