Continuous-wave electrically pumped multi-quantum-well laser based on group-IV semiconductors

Nature Communications, vol. 15, pp. 10502

Abstract

Over the last 30 years, group-IV semiconductors have been intensely investigated in the quest for a fundamental direct bandgap semiconductor that could yield the last missing piece of the Si Photonics toolbox: a continuous-wave Si-based laser. Along this path, it has been demonstrated that the electronic band structure of the GeSn/SiGeSn heterostructures can be tuned into a direct bandgap quantum structure providing optical gain for lasing. In this paper, we present a versatile electrically pumped, continuous-wave laser emitting at a near-infrared wavelength of 2.32 µm with a low threshold current of 4 mA. It is based on a 6-periods SiGeSn/GeSn multiple quantum-well heterostructure. Operation of the micro-disk laser at liquid nitrogen temperature is possible by changing to pulsed operation and reducing the heat load. The demonstration of a continuous-wave, electrically pumped, all-group-IV laser is a major breakthrough towards a complete group-IV photonics technology platform.

Authors 17

1. Lukas Seidel corresponding

   University of Stuttgart

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany. lukas.seidel@iht.uni-stuttgart.de

   Institute of Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

2. Teren Liu

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

   Affiliation as printed

   Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany

3. Omar Concepción

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

   Affiliation as printed

   Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany

4. Bahareh Marzban Aachen Institute of Integrated Photonics (IPH)

   ETH Zurich · Institute for Quantum Electronics · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute for Quantum Electronics, ETH Zürich, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland

   Institute of Integrated Photonics, RWTH Aachen, 52074, Aachen, Germany

5. Vivien Kiyek

   Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Energy Materials and Devices (IMD-2), Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany

   Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany

6. Davide Spirito

   Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures · Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics

   Affiliation as printed

   BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940, Leioa, Spain

   IHP - Leibniz Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, 15236, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

7. Daniel Schwarz

   University of Stuttgart

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

8. Aimen Benkhelifa

   University of Stuttgart

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

9. Jörg Schulze

   Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

   Affiliation as printed

   Chair of Electron Devices, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058, Erlangen, Germany

10. Z. Ikonić

    University of Leeds

    Affiliation as printed

    Pollard Institute, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK

11. Jean-Michel Hartmann

    Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · CEA Grenoble · Laboratoire d'Électronique des Technologies de l'Information · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI, 38054, Grenoble, France

12. A. Chelnokov

    Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · CEA Grenoble · Laboratoire d'Électronique des Technologies de l'Information · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, LETI, 38054, Grenoble, France

13. Jeremy Witzens Aachen Institute of Integrated Photonics (IPH)

    RWTH Aachen University

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Integrated Photonics, RWTH Aachen, 52074, Aachen, Germany

14. Giovanni Capellini

    Roma Tre University · Leibniz Institute for High Performance Microelectronics

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Sciences, Università Roma Tre, 00146, Roma, Italy

    IHP - Leibniz Institut für innovative Mikroelektronik, 15236, Frankfurt (Oder), Germany

15. Michael Oehme

    University of Stuttgart

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute of Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany

16. Detlev Grützmacher

    Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

    Affiliation as printed

    Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany

17. Dan Buca corresponding

    Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance

    Affiliation as printed

    Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany. d.m.buca@fz-juelich.de

    Peter Gruenberg Institute 9 (PGI-9) and JARA-Fundamentals of Future Information Technologies, Forschungszentrum Juelich, 52428, Juelich, Germany