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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2009

Quantum-Well Thermophotovoltaic Cells

Thermophotovoltaic cells containing multiple quantum wells have been invented as improved means of conversion of thermal to electrical energy. The semiconductor bandgaps of the quantum wells can be tailored to be narrower than those of prior thermophotovoltaic cells, thereby enabling the cells to convert energy from longer-wavelength photons that dominate the infrared-rich spectra of typical thermal sources with which these cells would be used. Moreover, in comparison with a conventional single-junction thermophotovoltaic cell, a cell containing multiple narrow-bandgap quantum wells according to the invention can convert energy from a wider range of wavelengths. Hence, the invention increases the achievable thermal-to-electrical energy-conversion efficiency. These thermophotovoltaic cells are expected to be especially useful for extracting electrical energy from combustion, waste-heat, and nuclear sources having temperatures in the approximate range from 1,000 to 1,500 C.

Freudlich, Alex↗
NASA NTRS1989

Advantages of an indirect semiconductor quantum well system for infrared detection

The infrared intersubband absorption process in quantum well systems with anisotropic bulk effective masses, which usually occurs in indirect semiconductors was analyzed. It is found that the anisotropic effective mass can be utilized to provide allowed intersubband transitions at normal incidence to the quantum well growth direction. This transition is known to be forbidden for cases of isotropic effective mass. This property can be exploited for infrared sensor application of quantum well structures by allowing direct illumination of large surface areas without using special waveguide structures. The 10-micron intersubband absorption in quantum wells made of the silicon-based system Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x) was calculated. It is found that it is readily possible to achieve an absorption constant of the order of 10,000/cm in these Si quantum wells with current doping technology.

Yang, Chan-Lon↗
DOE OSTI2024

Near-Infrared Optical Gain of Colloidal Quantum Wells via Intraband Transitions

Tunable, unipolar, near-infrared intraband optical gain is demonstrated in semiconductor colloidal quantum wells, expanding the form and optical range for potential infrared applications. Atomically flat colloidal quantum wells of cadmium selenide display photoinduced absorption features in the near-infrared assigned to intraband (alternatively intersubband) transitions from the first to second electron subbands of the quantum wells. Under ultraviolet optical excitation, these same transitions from the first to second electron subbands are shown to exhibit stimulated emission, resulting in optical gain covering the near-infrared spectral region. The modal gain, bandwidth, and lifetime of this intraband gain are manipulated by using excitation energy, fluence, temperature, and surface chemistry. Unlike previous demonstrations of intraband optical gain in epitaxial quantum wells (e.g., quantum cascade lasers), the colloidal quantum wells are undoped. As a result, nearly thresholdless gain is in principle possible and limited in practice by the measurement of small optical losses of the samples in the near-infrared. Furthermore, the observations may be understood as a modified "quantum fountain" employing the valence band, a strategy that may be applied to many other materials.

Optical gain↗
DOE OSTI2022

Characterization of Shallow, Undoped Ge/SiGe Quantum Wells Commercially Grown on 8-in. (100) Si Wafers

Hole spins in Ge quantum wells have shown success in both spintronic and quantum applications, thereby increasing the demand for high-quality material. We performed material analysis and device characterization of commercially grown shallow and undoped Ge/SiGe quantum well heterostructures on 8-in. (100) Si wafers. Material analysis reveals the high crystalline quality, sharp interfaces, and uniformity of the material. We demonstrate a high mobility (1.7 × 10 5 cm 2 V –1 s –1 ) 2D hole gas in a device with a conduction threshold density of 9.2 × 10 10 cm –2 . We study the use of surface preparation as a tool to control barrier thickness, density, mobility, and interface trap density. We report interface trap densities of 6 × 10 12 eV –1 . Our results validate the material’s high quality and show that further investigation into improving device performance is needed. We conclude that surface preparations which include weak Ge etchants, such as dilute H 2 O 2 , can be used for postgrowth control of quantum well depth in Ge-rich SiGe while still providing a relatively smooth oxide–semiconductor interface. Our results show that interface state density is mostly independent of our surface preparations, thereby implying that a Si cap layer is not necessary for device performance. Transport in our devices is instead limited by the quantum well depth. Commercially sourced Ge/SiGe, such as studied here, will provide accessibility for future investigations.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Efficiency and Forward Voltage of Blue and Green Lateral LEDs with V-shaped Defects and Random Alloy Fluctuation in Quantum Wells

For nitride-based blue and green light-emitting diodes (LEDs), the forward voltage V for is larger than expected, especially for green LEDs. This is mainly due to the large barriers to vertical carrier transport caused by the total polarization discontinuity at multiple quantum well and quantum barrier interfaces. The natural random alloy fluctuation in quantum wells has proven to be an important factor reducing V for . However, this does not suffice in the case of green LEDs because of their larger polarization-induced barrier. V-shaped defects (V-defects) have been proposed as another key factor in reducing V for to allow lateral injection into multiple quantum wells, thus bypassing the multiple energy barriers incurred by vertical transport. In this paper, to model carrier transport in the whole LED, we consider both random-alloy and V-defect effects. A fully two-dimensional drift-diffusion charge-control solver is used to model both effects. The results indicate that the turn-on voltages for blue and green LEDs are both affected by random alloy fluctuations and the V-defect density. For green LEDs, V for decreases more due to V-defects, where the smaller polarization barrier at the V-defect sidewall is the major path for lateral carrier injection. Then, we discuss how the V-defect density and size affects the results.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Volumetric carrier injection in InGaN quantum well light emitting diodes

InGaN/GaN quantum well (QW) light emitting diodes (LEDs) are essential components of solid-state lighting and displays. However, the efficiency of long wavelength (green to red) devices is inferior to that of blue LEDs. To a large degree, this occurs because the equilibration of injected holes between multiple QWs of the active region is hindered by GaN quantum confinement and polarization barriers. This drawback could be overcome by volumetric hole injection into all QWs through semipolar QWs present on the facets of V-defects that form at threading dislocations in polar GaN-based structures. In this work, we have tested the viability of this injection mechanism and studied its properties by time-resolved and near-field spectroscopy techniques. Here, we have found that indeed the hole injection via the V-defects does take place, the mechanism is fast, and the hole spread from the V-defect is substantial, making this type of injection feasible for efficient long wavelength GaN LEDs.

InGaN/GaN quantum wells↗
NASA NTRS1992

Photoexcited escape probability, optical gain, and noise in quantum well infrared photodetectors

We present a detailed and thorough study of a wide variety of quantum well infrared photodetectors (QWIPs), which were chosen to have large differences in their optical and transport properties. Both n- and p-doped QWIPs, as well as intersubband transitions based on photoexcitation from bound-to-bound, bound-to-quasi-continuum, and bound-to-continuum quantum well states were investigated. The measurements and theoretical analysis included optical absorption, responsivity, dark current, current noise, optical gain, hot carrier mean free path; net quantum efficiency, quantum well escape probability, quantum well escape time, as well as detectivity. These results allow a better understanding of the optical and transport physics and thus a better optimization of the QWIP performance.

Levine, B. F.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ultrafast carrier dynamics in multiple quantum well p–i–n photodiodes

Quantum well (QW) structures are widely used in lasers, semiconductor optical amplifiers, and modulators, enabling their monolithic integration on the same substrate. As optoelectronic systems evolve to meet the growing bandwidth demands in the terahertz regime, a deep understanding of ultrafast carrier dynamics in QW structures becomes essential. We introduce a comprehensive model to analyze the ultrafast dynamics of interband photo-excited carriers in QW p–i–n structures and to calculate their frequency response. This model characterizes the entire photocarrier transport process, including carrier escape from QWs and movement across heterojunction interfaces. Additionally, we outline theoretical methods for calculating carrier escape times from both QWs and heterojunction interfaces. Using a GaAs/AlGaAs QW p–i–n structure as a case study, we discuss the effects of carrier escape times from QWs and heterojunction interfaces, as well as carrier transit time through the intrinsic region, on the frequency response of QW p–i–n structures.

Electronic band structure↗
NASA NTRS1987

Anisotropic transport in modulation-doped quantum-well structures

Anisotropic electron transport has been observed in GaAs modulation-doped quantum wells grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on a thick (001) Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As buffer grown at 620 C. Thicker quantum wells (150, 200, and 300 A) show progressively less anisotropy, which vanishes for a 300-A quantum well. The degree of anisotropy is also reduced or eliminated by suspending growth of the Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As for a period of 300 s prior to growing the GaAs quantum well. Growing the Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As buffer at higher temperatures (680 C) also reduces the degree of anisotropy. Higher two-dimensional electron gas sheet densities result in less anisotropy.The anisotropy is eliminated by replacing the thick Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As buffer with a periodic multilayer structure comprising 15 A of GaAs and 200 A of Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As. The degree of anisotropy is related to the thickness and growth parameters of the Al(0.3)Ga(0.7)As layer grown just prior to the growth of the GaAs.

Radulescu, D. C.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Mid- and Long-IR Broadband Quantum Well Photodetector

A single-stack broadband quantum well infrared photodetector (QWIP) has been developed that consists of stacked layers of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells with absorption peaks centered at various wavelengths spanning across the 9- to-11- m spectral regions. The correct design of broadband QWIPs was a critical step in this task because the earlier implementation of broadband QWIPs suffered from a tuning of spectral response curve with an applied bias. Here, a new QWIP design has been developed to overcome the spectral tuning with voltage that results from non-uniformity and bias variation of the electrical field across the detector stacks with different absorption wavelengths. In this design, a special effort has been made to avoid non-uniformity and bias tuning by changing the doping levels in detector stacks to compensate for variation of dark current generation rate across the stacks with different absorption wavelengths. Single-pixel photodetectors were grown, fabricated, and tested using this new design. The measured dark current is comparable with the dark measured current for single-color QWIP detectors with similar cutoff wavelength, thus indicating high material quality as well as absence of performance degradation resulting from broadband design. The measured spectra clearly demonstrate that the developed detectors cover the desired special range of 8 to 12 m. Moreover, the shape of the spectral curves does not change with applied biases, thus overcoming the problem plaguing previous designs of broadband QWIPs.

Soibel, Alexander↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electron mobility enhancement by electric field engineering of AlN/GaN/AlN quantum-well HEMTs on single-crystal AlN substrates

To enhance the electron mobility in quantum-well high-electron-mobility transistors (QW HEMTs), we investigate the transport properties in AlN/GaN/AlN heterostructures on Al-polar single-crystal AlN substrates. Theoretical modeling combined with experiment shows that interface roughness scattering due to high electric field in the quantum well limits mobility. Increasing the width of the quantum well to its relaxed form reduces the internal electric field and scattering, resulting in a binary QW HEMT with a high two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) density of 3.68×1013 cm–2, a mobility of 823 cm2/Vs, and a record-low room temperature (RT) sheet resistance of 206 Ω/□. Further reduction of the quantum well electric field yields a 2DEG density of 2.53×1013 cm–2 and RT mobility > 1000 cm2/V s. These findings will enable future developments in high-voltage and high-power microwave applications on the ultrawide bandgap AlN substrate platform.

Physics↗
NASA NTRS1990

AlSb/InAs/AlSb quantum wells

Researchers studied the InAs/AlSb system recently, obtaining 12nm wide quantum wells with room temperature mobilities up to 28,000 cm(exp 2)/V center dot S and low-temperature mobilities up to 325,000 cm(exp 2)/V center dot S, both at high electron sheet concentrations in the 10(exp 12)/cm(exp 2) range (corresponding to volume concentrations in the 10(exp 18)/cm(exp 2) range). These wells were not intentionally doped; the combination of high carrier concentrations and high mobilities suggest that the electrons are due to not-intentional modulation doping by an unknown donor in the AlSb barriers, presumably a stoichiometric defect, like an antisite donor. Inasmuch as not intentionally doped bulk AlSb is semi-insulating, the donor must be a deep one, being ionized only by draining into the even deeper InAs quantum well. The excellent transport properties are confirmed by other observations, like excellent quantum Hall effect data, and the successful use of the quantum wells as superconductive weak links between Nb electrodes, with unprecendentedly high critical current densities. The system is promising for future field effect transistors (FETs), but many processing problems must first be solved. Although the researchers have achieved FETs, the results so far have not been competitive with GaAs FETs.

Kroemer, Herbert↗
NASA NTRS1988

Intersubband absorption of silicon-based quantum wells for infrared imaging

The 10-micron intersubband absorption in quantum wells made of the silicon-based system, Si/Si(1-x)Ge(x), has been calculated. The necessary details of the effective-mass anisotropy are included in the present analysis. It is found that it is readily possible to achieve an absorption constant of order of 10,000/cm in Si quantum wells with current doping technology. For 110-line and 111-line growth directions, a further advantage of Si quantum wells is pointed out, namely, an allowed absorption at normal incidence due to the anisotropic effective mass in Si.

Yang, Chan-Ion↗
NASA NTRS1991

Multiple-Quantum-Well Intersubband Infrared Detector

Proposed multiple-quantum-well intersubband semiconductor device detects photons over broader range of wavelengths. Device is stack of substacks, each of which contains quantum-well layers sensitive to different narrow band of wavelengths. Bandwidth and detectivity increased.

Borenstain, Shmuel I.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Impact of threading dislocations on the V-defect assisted lateral carrier injection and recombination in InGaN quantum well LEDs

The nonuniform hole distribution between InGaN quantum wells (QWs) of light emitting diodes (LEDs) has a negative impact on LED efficiency. The uniformity can be increased by using lateral hole injection through sidewalls of V-defects, which form at threading dislocations. However, the inherent coupling between the V-defects and dislocations might affect efficiency of the hole injection and nonradiative recombination. In this work, we have tested the possible impact of the dislocations on the injection and recombination by means of scanning near-field electroluminescence and photoluminescence spectroscopy on single green-emitting InGaN QW LEDs containing large (∼0.5 μm) V-defects. The measurements have not provided any evidence of a lower hole injection efficiency or enhanced nonradiative recombination at the dislocations located at the V-defect facets or their apexes. This shows that large V-defects are excellent volumetric injectors for long wavelength InGaN LEDs. Furthermore, it was established that V-defects are preferential hole injectors even in single quantum well devices. Compared to vertical injection, the V-defect injection allows lowering the operating voltage, which should contribute to an enhanced wall plug efficiency.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Breaking electron pairs in the pseudogap regime of SmTiO 3 − SrTiO 3 − SmTiO 3 quantum wells

The strongly correlated two-dimensional electron liquid within SmTiO 3 /SrTiO 3 /SmTiO 3 quantum well structures exhibits a pseudogap phase when the quantum well width is sufficiently narrow. Using low-temperature transport and optical experiments that drive the quantum-well system out of equilibrium, we find evidence of mobile, long-lived, negatively charged quasiparticles, consistent with the idea that the pseudogap phase arises from strongly bound electron pairs. As a result, these experimental results establish a connection between quantum confinement and enhanced electron pairing, which may provide a pathway to higher-temperature superconductors.

Correlated electronics↗
DOE OSTI2025

High Mobility and Electrostatics in GeSn Quantum Wells With SiGeSn Barriers

GeSn is an emerging material with potential applications in next‐generation integrated optoelectronics and quantum information processing. While GeSn/SiGeSn quantum wells exhibit promising optical properties, their electrical transport characteristics and governing electrostatics in gated structures remain unexplored. Heterostructure field‐effect transistors are fabricated using GeSn/SiGeSn quantum wells and electronic transport properties of 2D holes are characterized. At 2 K, heterostructure field‐effect transistors with well/barrier compositions of Ge 0.945 Sn 0.055 /Si 0.03 Ge 0.93 Sn 0.04 and Ge 0.9 Sn 0.1 /Si 0.017 Ge 0.927 Sn 0.056 , show peak mobilities of 9000 and 19 000 cm 2 /Vs, respectively, the latter setting a record for the highest mobility reported for GeSn quantum wells with a Sn concentration around 6 % or greater. Remarkably, at low carrier densities, devices with a SiGeSn barrier exhibit mobilities several times higher than previously reported for GeSn quantum wells with a Ge barrier. This higher mobility contrasts with the expectation that alloy scattering from the barrier would reduce carrier mobility. Two mechanisms based on atom probe tomography data analyses are proposed: i) unintentionally improved SiGeSn/GeSn interface and/or ii) reduced alloy scattering from short‐range order. Significant current–voltage hysteresis is observed, with the effective threshold gate voltage shifting by more than 5 V, attributed to non‐equilibrium trapped charge at various interfaces within the SiGeSn heterostructure.

GeSn↗
NASA NTRS1988

Properties of multiple quantum wells and their use in high-speed detectors and modulators

Quantum well systems lattice matched to GaAs and InP have emerged as important materials for use in long wavelength optoelectronic devices. Intrinsic problems associated with the growth of these quantum wells by molecular beam epitaxy are discussed and the luminescence properties of state-of-art quantum wells, using novel growth techniques are described. Finally, the properties of detectors, modulators and integrated devices made with these heterojunction materials are described and discussed.

Bhattacharya, Pallab↗