Hot-hole lasers in III-V semiconductors

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of III-V semiconductors like GaAs and InSb for hot-hole lasers, using simulations to evaluate performance and suggest design improvements over traditional p-Ge systems.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation-based analysis of III-V hot-hole lasers, challenging previous performance criteria and proposing new optimal conditions for device design.

Findings

InSb shows promising gain characteristics due to large effective mass ratio.

Simulation results reveal that traditional criteria for performance prediction are unreliable.

Optimal laser conditions depend on field orientation and photon polarization.

Abstract

Following the success of p-Ge hot-hole lasers, there is also potential for using other semiconductor materials, notably III-V's such as GaAs and InSb. Previous analysis had suggested that a large effective mass ratio between the heavy and light holes is advantageous, which implies that InSb would make an excellent hot-hole laser. Using our Monte Carlo simulations of both GaAs and InSb hot-hole lasers in combination with a rate equation model, we see that previously accepted criteria used to predict performance are not always reliable, and we suggest suitable alternatives. The simulation results include gain and gain bandwidth as a function of field strength and laser frequency, and alternative field orientations and photon polarizations are considered. Comparisons are made with bulk p-Ge systems. The optimum conditions predicted by our simulations could then be used in the design of quantum-well hot-hole lasers.