Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Materials for Mid-Infrared Semiconductor Lasers

  • Published:
MRS Online Proceedings Library Aims and scope

Abstract

A variety of semiconductor materials have been used to fabricate diode lasers for the midinfrared. Lasers using the lead salts (e.g. PbSnTe) have been commercially available for some time. Mid-infrared emitting III-V semiconductors (e.g. InGaAsSb) have superior thermal conductivity, and diode lasers fabricated from these materials offer higher powers. Of particular interest are the III-V semiconductor lasers based on type-II superlattices (e.g. InAs/GaInSb). Among the many unique properties attributed to type-Il superlattices are small hole mass, reduced Auger recombination, and less inter-valence band absorption - all important for better lasers. Recent results with Quantum Cascade-type lasers are also very encouraging. This paper summarizes the important semiconductor materials for mid-infrared lasers with emphasis on the type-II superlattices.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. R. J. Menna, D. R. Capewell, Ramon U. Martinelli, P. K. York, and R. E. Enstrom, Appl. Phys. Lett. {vn59}, 2127 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  2. S. R. Kurtz, R. M. Biefeld, L. R. Dawson, K. C. Baucom, and A. J. Howard, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 812 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. A. N. Baranov, A. N. Imenkov, V. V. Sherstnev, and Yu. P. Yakovlev, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 2480 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. H. Q. Le, G. W. Turner, S. J. Eglash, H. K. Choi, D. A. Coppeta, Appl. Phys. Lett. 64, 152 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Yong-Hang Zhang, Richard H. Miles, and David H. Chow, IEEE J. Of Selected Topics in Quantum Electron. 1, 749 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. H. K. Choi and G. W. Turner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 332 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. D. H. Chow, R. H. Miles, T. C. Hasenberg, A. R. Kost, Y.-H. Zhang, H. L. Dunlap, and L. West, Appl. Phys. Lett. 67, 3700 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. C. H. Grein, P. M. Young, and H. Ehrenreich, J. Appl. Phys. 76, 1940 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. M. E. Flatté, C. H. Grein, H. Ehrenreich, R. H. Miles, H. Cruz, J. Appl. Phys. 78, 4552 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Z. Shi, M. Tacke, A. Lambrecht, and H. Böttner, Appl. Phys. Lett. 66, 2537 (1995).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. M. Zandian, J. M. Arias, R. Zucca, R. V. Gil, and S. H. Shin, Appl. Phys. Lett. 59, 1022 (1991).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. G. W. Turner, M. J. Manfra, H. K. Choi, and M. K. Connors, J. of Crystal Growth, 175/176, 825 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. D. Wu, E. Kaas, J. Diaz, B. Lane, A. Rybaltowski, H. J. Yi, and M. Razeghi, IEEE Photon. Tech. Lett. 9, 175 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. A. R. Kost, L. West, R. H. Miles, T. C. Hasenberg, in In-Plane Semiconductor Lasers: from Ultraviolet to Midinfrared, Proc. SPIE 3001, 321 (1997).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. T. C. Hasenberg, R. H. Miles, A. R. Kost, and L. West, IEEE J. Quantum Electron. QE-33, 1403 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Y. H. Zhang, H. Q. Le, D. H. Chow, and R. H. Miles, in Proc. of the 7th Intl. Conference on Narrow Gap Semiconductors, (IOP, Brystol, 1995) pp. 36–40.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Jérome Faist, Federico Capasso, Carlo Sitori, Deborah L. Sivco, James N. Baillargeon, Albert L. Hutchinson, Sung-Nee G. Chu, and Albert Y. Cho, Appl. Phys. Lett. 70, 2670 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. S. Slivken, C. Jelen, A. Rybaltowski, L. Diaz, and M. Razeghi, Appl. Phys. Lett. 71, 2593 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. C. L. Felix, W. W. Bewley, I. Vurgaftman, J. R. Meyer, D. Zhang, C.-H. Lin, R. Q. Yang, and S. S. Pei, IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett. 9, 1433 (1997).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge Linda West, Tom Hasenberg, Richard Miles, David Chow, Tom Boggess, and Michael Flatté for their work on type-II superlattice lasers. Work onMID-IR lasers at the Hughes Research Laboratories was supported in part by the Air Force Phillips Laboratory under Contract No. F29601-93-C-0037.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hughes Research Laboratories, Malibu, CA, 90265, USA

    A. R. Kost

Authors
  1. A. R. Kost
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. R. Kost.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kost, A.R. Materials for Mid-Infrared Semiconductor Lasers. MRS Online Proceedings Library 484, 3–10 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-484-3

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/PROC-484-3

Search

Navigation