We present a comprehensive, up-to-date compilation of band parameters for the technologically important III–V zinc blende and wurtzite compound semiconductors: GaAs, GaSb, GaP, GaN, AlAs, AlSb, AlP, AlN, InAs, InSb, InP, and InN, along with their ternary and quaternary alloys. Based on a review of the existing literature, complete and consistent parameter sets are given for all materials. Emphasizing the quantities required for band structure calculations, we tabulate the direct and indirect energy gaps, spin-orbit, and crystal-field splittings, alloy bowing parameters, effective masses for electrons, heavy, light, and split-off holes, Luttinger parameters, interband momentum matrix elements, and deformation potentials, including temperature and alloy-composition dependences where available. Heterostructure band offsets are also given, on an absolute scale that allows any material to be aligned relative to any other.

Band parameters for III–V compound semiconductors and their alloys

Quantum communication relies on the availability of light pulses with strong quantum correlations among photons. An example of such an optical source is a single-photon pulse with a vanishing probability for detecting two or more photons. Using pulsed laser excitation of a single quantum dot, a single-photon turnstile device that generates a train of single-photon pulses was demonstrated. For a spectrally isolated quantum dot, nearly 100% of the excitation pulses lead to emission of a single photon, yielding an ideal single-photon source.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/290/5500/2282.full.pdf

A Quantum Dot Single-Photon Turnstile Device

4.1. Nanomachining with Scanning Probes 1831 4.2. Soft Lithography 1832 4.3. Embossing with Rigid Masters 1835 4.4. Near-Field Phase-Shifting Photolithography 1835 4.5. Topographically Directed Photolithography 1837 4.6. Topographically Directed Etching 1837 4.7. Lithography with Neutral Metastable Atoms 1838 4.8. Approaches to Size Reduction 1839 5. Techniques for Making Regular or Simple Patterns 1839

https://www.engr.colostate.edu/ECE581/fall07/xia%20chem%20rev%2099.pdf

Unconventional Methods for Fabricating and Patterning Nanostructures.

The effects of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED), caused by the interaction of matter and the electromagnetic field in subwavelength resonant structures, have been the subject of intense research in recent years. The generation of coherent radiation by subwavelength resonant structures has attracted considerable interest, not only as a means of exploring the QED effects that emerge at small volume, but also for its potential in applications ranging from on-chip optical communication to ultrahigh-resolution and high-throughput imaging, sensing and spectroscopy. One such strand of research is aimed at developing the 'ultimate' nanolaser: a scalable, low-threshold, efficient source of radiation that operates at room temperature and occupies a small volume on a chip. Different resonators have been proposed for the realization of such a nanolaser--microdisk and photonic bandgap resonators, and, more recently, metallic, metallo-dielectric and plasmonic resonators. But progress towards realizing the ultimate nanolaser has been hindered by the lack of a systematic approach to scaling down the size of the laser cavity without significantly increasing the threshold power required for lasing. Here we describe a family of coaxial nanostructured cavities that potentially solve the resonator scalability challenge by means of their geometry and metal composition. Using these coaxial nanocavities, we demonstrate the smallest room-temperature, continuous-wave telecommunications-frequency laser to date. In addition, by further modifying the design of these coaxial nanocavities, we achieve thresholdless lasing with a broadband gain medium. In addition to enabling laser applications, these nanoscale resonators should provide a powerful platform for the development of other QED devices and metamaterials in which atom-field interactions generate new functionalities.

Thresholdless nanoscale coaxial lasers

The initial stages of GaAs overgrowth over self-assembled coherently strained InAs quantum dots (QDs) are studied. For small GaAs coverages (below 5 nm), atomic force microscopy (AFM) images show partially covered island structures with a regular size distribution which are elongated in the [011] direction. Analysis of the AFM profiles show that a large anisotropic redistribution of the island material is taking place during the initial GaAs overgrowth. Short time annealing experiments together with photoluminescence spectroscopy on annealed QDs are consistent with a Ga and In intermixing during the overgrowth. Surface QDs capped with 5 nm or more GaAs show a strong luminescence intensity indicating that surface QDs are remarkably insensitive to surface recombination effects.

/pdf/intermixing-and-shape-changes-during-the-formation-of-inas-2osg4gf7ng.pdf

Intermixing and shape changes during the formation of InAs self-assembled quantum dots

Visible-stimulated emission in a semiconductor quantum dot (QD) laser structure has been demonstrated. Red-emitting, self-assembled QDs of highly strained InAlAs have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on a GaAs substrate. Carriers injected electrically from the doped regions of a separate confinement heterostructure thermalized efficiently into the zero-dimensional QD states, and stimulated emission at ∼707 nanometers was observed at 77 kelvin with a threshold current of 175 milliamperes for a 60-micrometer by 400-micrometer broad area laser. An external efficiency of ∼8.5 percent at low temperature and a peak power greater than 200 milliwatts demonstrate the good size distribution and high gain in these high-quality QDs.

https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/274/5291/1350.full.pdf

Red-Emitting Semiconductor Quantum Dot Lasers

We present radiative lifetime measurements of excited states in semiconductor self-assembled quantum dots. By increasing the photoexcitation intensity, excited-state interband transitions up to n=5 can be observed in photoluminescence. The dynamics of the interband transitions and the intersublevel relaxation in these zero-dimensional energy levels lead to state filling of the lower-energy states, allowing the Fermi level to be raised by more than 200 meV due to the combined large intersublevel spacing and the low density of states. The decay time of each energy level obtained under various excitation conditions is used to evaluate the intersublevel thermalization time. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.

State filling and time-resolved photoluminescence of excited states in InxGa1-xAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots.

We present results of room temperature photoluminescence (PL) emission from a 0‐dimensional system in the ∼1.4 to ∼1.7 μm spectral region. Molecular beam epitaxy was used to grow InAs self‐assembled quantum dots in AlInAs on an InP substrate. Preliminary characterizations have been performed using PL and transmission electron microscopy. The low temperatures PL spectra also display excited state emission and state filling as the excitation intensity is increased.

InAs self‐assembled quantum dots on InP by molecular beam epitaxy

Intermixing the wells and barriers of quantum-well (QW) laser heterostructures generally results in an increase in the bandgap energy and is accompanied by changes in the refractive index. A technique, based on ion implantation-induced QW intermixing, has been developed to enhance the quantum-well intermixing (QWI) rate in selected areas of a wafer. Such processes offer the prospect of a powerful and simple fabrication route for the integration of discrete optoelectronic devices and for forming photonic integrated circuits.

Sylvain Charbonneau

Papers

Red-Emitting Semiconductor Quantum Dot Lasers

State filling and time-resolved photoluminescence of excited states in InxGa1-xAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dots.

InAs self‐assembled quantum dots on InP by molecular beam epitaxy

Photonic integrated circuits fabricated using ion implantation

Temperature effects on the radiative recombination in self-assembled quantum dots