Monolithic 1.3 μm InAs/GaAs Quantum Dot Lasers on Silicon: Simulation and Experiment

1.3 μm quantum dot (QD) lasers epitaxially grown on silicon have attracted great interest as light source for silicon photonics and other optical communication applications. This work focuses on improving the understanding of the physical mechanisms limiting the performance of these devices, and on studying the laser dynamics with respect to data transmission potential through simulation and experiment. Dislocation-induced carrier loss is a major concern for the performance of QD lasers on silicon. Part of this work aims, therefore, at identifying the processes degrading the laser characteristics as well as on understanding the performance disparity between silicon-based QD and quantum well (QW) devices. By using two specially extended types of rate equation travelling-wave models it is found that enhanced carrier loss at higher dislocation densities leads to a much larger laser threshold increase in QW than in QD lasers. The QD laser’s increased tolerance to dislocations can be explained based on efficient and ultrafast carrier capture into the QDs, where high energy barriers prevent them from migrating into defects. The carrier density reduction in the higher energy continuum layers is eventually reflected in a lower current injection efficiency and thus reduced light-current slope, confirming experimentally observed trends of 1.3 μm QD lasers on silicon. In particular, a large minority carrier diffusion length is identified as a key parameter inhibiting laser operation in QW-based devices. The other part of this work focuses on investigating the QD lasers’ dynamics by means of gain switching, small-signal and large-signal modulation. 150 ps short gain-switched pulses, modulation bandwidths of 1.6 GHz to 2.3 GHz, and optical eyes at 1.5 Gb/s are obtained from 2.5 mm long ridge-waveguide lasers grown and fabricated at University College London. Numerical simulations reveal that the observed high-speed limitations are a result of limited gain and a long photon lifetime, whereas suitability for 10 Gb/s operation is predicted in an optimised laser design. It was, furthermore, found that neither dislocation-induced carrier loss nor optical loss limit the modulation characteristics fundamentally. The reduced carrier lifetime is, however, reflected in stronger damping of the small-signal modulation curves. Apart from that, the overall device dynamics remain governed by the QD physics.

Name dc:type.qualificationname

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level dc:type.qualificationlevel

Doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

University of Cambridge

Year dc:date.issued

2020

Author dc:creator

• Hantschmann, Constanze

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Penty, Richard V

• Quantum Dots
• Silicon Photonics
• Photonic Integration
• Semiconductor Lasers
• Numerical Modelling

Licence

• https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/17aa69d6-ea77-460d-8c7f-28cb43115df2/download
• https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/

Language dc:language

eng

DOI dc:identifier.doi

https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.63876

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.repository.cam.ac.uk:1810/316762