Broadband light sources using InAs quantum dots with InGaAs strain-reducing layers

Abstract

We fabricated broadband superluminescent diodes (SLDs) for optical coherence tomography (OCT). We used three kinds of quantum dot (QD) layers with different emission peak wavelengths in the active region of SLD. The emission wavelength was controlled by reducing the strain in QDs; by using the In0.1Ga0.9 As strain-reducing layer, the peak wavelength shifted toward the longer-wavelength side, and the photoluminescence peak intensity becomes strong in contrast to QDs on GaAs. By stacking these strain-controlled QD layers, the SLD device shows a broad electroluminescence spectrum with the center wavelength of 1130 nm and the spectral linewidth of approximately 240 nm at the injection of 1A caused by the increased emission intensity from the excited states. This corresponds to an resolution of 2.3 μm in OCT. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.