Top-Hat HELLISH-VCSOA for optical amplification and wavelength conversion for 0.85 to 1.3μm operation

Abstract

The Top-Hat hot electron light emission and lasing in semiconductor heterostructure (HELLISH)-vertical cavity semiconductor optical amplifier (VCSOA) is a modified version of a HELLISH-VCSOA device. It has a shorter p-channel and longer n-channel. The device studied in this work consists of a simple GaAs p-i-n junction, containing 11 Ga0.35In0.65 N0.02As0.08/GaAs multiple quantum wells in its intrinsic region; the active region is enclosed between six pairs of GaAs/AlAs top distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirrors and 20.5 pairs of AlAs/GaAs bottom DBR mirrors. The operation of the device is based on longitudinal current transport parallel to the layers of the GaAs p-n junction. The device is characterised through I-V-L and by spectral photoluminescence, electroluminescence and electro-photoluminescence measurements. An amplification of about 25 dB is observed at applied voltages of around V=88 V. © 2012 Chaqmaqchee et al.