Pallab Bhattacharya: III-Nitride Nanowire LEDs and Diode Lasers: Monolithic Light Sources on (001) Si Emitting in the 600-1300nm Range

GaN-based nanowire and nanowire heterostructure arrays epitaxially grown on (001)Si substrates have unique properties and present the potential to realize useful devices, says Pallab Bhattacharya of University of Michigan in this plenary presentation.

The polarization field and density of extended defects in the nanowires are significantly smaller than those in planar heterostructures. The active light-emitting region in the nanowire heterostructures are usually InGaN disks, whose composition can be varied to tune the emission wavelength.

His group has demonstrated light-emitting diodes and edge-emitting diode lasers with power outputs ~10mW with emission in the 600-1300nm wavelength range. These light sources are therefore useful for a variety of applications, including silicon photonics.

Bhattacharya gives detailed characterization of the epitaxial nanowire heterostructure arrays and the light sources, including the characteristics of a monolithic photonic integrated circuit designed for 1.3μm operation.

Pallab Bhattacharya is the Charles M. Vest Distinguished University Professor and the James R. Mellor Professor of Engineering at the University of Michigan.

He is recognized for his contributions to molecular beam epitaxy of compound semiconductors, quantum dot and nanowire optoelectronic devices and, in particular, lasers emitting in the visible and near-infrared and integrated photoreceivers for optical communication over the last 4 decades. He is the author of the textbook Semiconductor Optoelectronic Devices.

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