Inter-Landau Level Scattering Processes in Magnetic Field Assisted THz Quantum Cascade Laser

• Authors: J. Radovanović , A. Daničić , V. Milanović , D. Indjin , Z. Ikonic
• Languages of publication: EN

Abstracts

EN

We present a detailed analysis of GaAs/AlGaAs terahertz quantum cascade laser in the presence of an intense external magnetic field. One of the objectives in further development of THz quantum cascade laser is the realization of structures operating at higher temperatures. This is difficult to obtain as the operating photon emission energy is smaller than the longitudinal-optical phonon energy in the semiconductor material. With increased temperature, electrons in the upper radiative state gain sufficient in-plane energy to emit an longitudinal-optical phonon, which represents a non-radiative scattering and reduces the optical gain. By applying strong magnetic field, two-dimensional continuous energy subbands become split into series of discrete Landau levels, and at particular values of B it is possible to quench these non-radiative channels. Numerical simulations are performed on two-well design quantum cascade laser operating at 4.6 THz, implemented in GaAs/Al_{0.15}Ga_{0.85}As, and the magnetic field is perpendicular to the epitaxial layers. Strong oscillations of carrier lifetimes for the upper state of the laser transition, as a function of magnetic field are observed, which can be attributed to interface roughness scattering and longitudinal-optical phonon scattering between Landau levels.

Keywords

EN

72.10.-d; 73.21.Fg

Discipline

• 73.21.Fg: Quantum wells
• 72.10.-d: Theory of electronic transport; scattering mechanisms

• Publisher: Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Acta Physica Polonica A
• Year: 2011
• Volume: 120
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 227-230

Dates

published

2011-08

Contributors

author

J. Radovanović

• School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia

author

A. Daničić

• Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, P.O. Box 522, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia

author

V. Milanović

• School of Electrical Engineering, University of Belgrade, Bulevar kralja Aleksandra 73, 11120 Belgrade, Serbia

author

D. Indjin

• Institute of Microwaves and Photonics, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

author

Z. Ikonic

• Institute of Microwaves and Photonics, School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University of Leeds, Woodhouse Lane, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

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Identifiers

DOI

10.12693/APhysPolA.120.227