• Acta Optica Sinica
  • Vol. 41, Issue 1, 0114004 (2021)
Yi Zhang1、2, Cheng'ao Yang1、2, Jinming Shang1、2, Yihang Chen1、2, Tianfang Wang1、2, Yu Zhang1、2、*, Yingqiang Xu1、2, Bing Liu3、**, and Zhichuan Niu1、2、3、***
Author Affiliations
  • 1State Key Laboratory for Superlattices and Microstructures, Institute of Semiconductor, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100083, China
  • 2College of Materials Science and Opto-Electronic Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • 3Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
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    DOI: 10.3788/AOS202141.0114004 Cite this Article Set citation alerts
    Yi Zhang, Cheng'ao Yang, Jinming Shang, Yihang Chen, Tianfang Wang, Yu Zhang, Yingqiang Xu, Bing Liu, Zhichuan Niu. Research Progress of Semiconductor Interband Cascade Lasers[J]. Acta Optica Sinica, 2021, 41(1): 0114004 Copy Citation Text show less

    Abstract

    As an important frontier in the 3--5 μm mid-infrared lasers, semiconductor interband cascade quantum well laser has important scientific significance and application value in many fields, such as semiconductor optoelectronic device technology, gas detection, medical science, and free space optical communications. The emission mechanism of semiconductor interband cascade quantum well is dominated by the interband emission combination of electrons and holes in the Type-Ⅱ quantum wells, and then cascade amplification is formed in the electron injection region and the hole injection region, so as to realize the reuse of electrons and holes in multiple quantum well periods. In this paper, the development history of semiconductor interband cascade lasers, from the proposed band structure, epitaxial materials to device fabrication technology, was reviewed, and the basic concepts and working principles of each functional area in a device structure were analyzed. Furthermore, the milestone breakthroughs in the design of device structures and the technical difficulties of fabrication process were introduced, and the designs such as rebalancing of carriers and separate confinement layer were explained in detail. Finally, the development direction and trend of semiconductor interband cascade lasers were forecast.
    Yi Zhang, Cheng'ao Yang, Jinming Shang, Yihang Chen, Tianfang Wang, Yu Zhang, Yingqiang Xu, Bing Liu, Zhichuan Niu. Research Progress of Semiconductor Interband Cascade Lasers[J]. Acta Optica Sinica, 2021, 41(1): 0114004
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