TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-Consistent Scattering Model of Carrier Dynamics in GaAs-AlGaAs Terahertz Quantum-Cascade Lasers
AU - Indjin, D.
AU - Harrison, P.
AU - Kelsall, R. W.
AU - Ikonić, Z.
N1 - Funding Information:
Manuscript received July 9, 2002; revised September 23, 2002. This work was supported by the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council under Grant GR/R04485. The authors are with the School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, U.K. (e-mail: [email protected]). Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/LPT.2002.805801 Fig. 1. A schematic diagram of quasi-bound energy levels and associated wave functions squared for 1(1=2) periods of a GaAs–Al Ga As terahertz QCL: injector (levels 8, 10, 11 and 13) active region (3, 5, 7, 9 and 12) collector (1, 2, 4 and 6). The layer sequence of one period of the structure, in nanometers, from left to right starting from the injection barrier is 4.3, 18.8, 0.8, 15.8, 0.6, 11.7, 2.5, 10.3, 2.9, 10.2, 3.0, 10.8, 3.3, 9.9, ([14]). The normal script denotes the wells, bold script the barriers, and underscore the doped region, with a nominal donor sheet density N = 4:08 10 cm per period.
PY - 2003/1/1
Y1 - 2003/1/1
N2 - Intersubband electron scattering transport in terahertz GaAs-AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers is analyzed, using a full 13-level self-consistent rate equation model. The approach includes all relevant scattering mechanisms between injector-collector and active region states in the cascade structures. Employing an energy balance equation which includes the influence of both electron longitudinal optical phonon and electron-electron scattering, the method also enables evaluation of the average electron temperature of the nonequilibrium carrier distributions in the device. The electron temperature is found to give a strong influence on the output characteristics, particularly at very low temperatures. The threshold currents and electric field-current density characteristics are in very good agreement with experiment, implying that the model has a strong predictive capability.
AB - Intersubband electron scattering transport in terahertz GaAs-AlGaAs quantum cascade lasers is analyzed, using a full 13-level self-consistent rate equation model. The approach includes all relevant scattering mechanisms between injector-collector and active region states in the cascade structures. Employing an energy balance equation which includes the influence of both electron longitudinal optical phonon and electron-electron scattering, the method also enables evaluation of the average electron temperature of the nonequilibrium carrier distributions in the device. The electron temperature is found to give a strong influence on the output characteristics, particularly at very low temperatures. The threshold currents and electric field-current density characteristics are in very good agreement with experiment, implying that the model has a strong predictive capability.
KW - Electron temperature
KW - Intersubband transitions
KW - Quantum-cascade lasers
KW - Terahertz
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0037251620&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1109/LPT.2002.805801
DO - 10.1109/LPT.2002.805801
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0037251620
VL - 15
SP - 15
EP - 17
JO - IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
JF - IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
SN - 1041-1135
IS - 1
M1 - 1159047
ER -