Review—Review on Optimization and Current Status of (Al,In)GaN Superluminescent Diodes

Abstract

Superluminescent diodes represent a device type which can fill the gap between light emitting diodes (LEDs) and laser diodes. The light generation based on Amplified Spontaneous Emission promotes high brilliance of the light source (better than in case of LEDs), and by this efficient light harnessing e.g. coupling to optical fibers. At the same time the low time coherence of the light reduces the interference effects, unfavorable in applications such as Optical Coherence Tomography or in direct image projection. This article reviews the development process and the current status of nitride superluminescent diodes, from their first introduction in 2009 until present.