U.S. patent application number 15/732310 was filed with the patent office on 2019-04-25 for transistor laser electrical and optical bistable switching.
The applicant listed for this patent is The Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois. Invention is credited to Milton Feng, Nick Holonyak, JR., Fei Tan, Mong-Kai Wu.
Application Number | 20190123513 15/732310 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 66171272 |
Filed Date | 2019-04-25 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190123513 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Feng; Milton ; et
al. |
April 25, 2019 |
TRANSISTOR LASER ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL BISTABLE SWITCHING
Abstract
A method for electrical and optical bistable switching,
including the following steps: providing a semiconductor device
that includes a semiconductor base region of a first conductivity
type between semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a
second conductivity type, providing a quantum size region in the
base region, and providing base, collector and emitter terminals
respectively coupled with the base, collector, and emitter regions;
providing input electrical signals with respect to the base,
collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical output
signal and light emission from the base region; providing an
optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of the
base region and the light emission therefrom, an optical output
signal being obtained from a portion of the light in the optical
resonant cavity; and modifying the input electrical signals to
switch back and forth between a first state wherein the photon
density in the cavity is below a predetermined threshold and the
optical output is incoherent, and a second state wherein the photon
density in the cavity is above the predetermined threshold and the
optical output is coherent, said switching from the first to the
second state being implemented by modifying the input electrical
signals to reduce optical absorption by collector intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling, and the switching from the second to the
first state being implemented by modifying the input electrical
signals to increase photon absorption by collector intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling.
Inventors: |
Feng; Milton; (Champaign,
IL) ; Holonyak, JR.; Nick; (Urbana, IL) ; Wu;
Mong-Kai; (Hillsboro, OR) ; Tan; Fei; (Santa
Clara, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The Board of Trustees of The University of Illinois |
Urbana |
IL |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
66171272 |
Appl. No.: |
15/732310 |
Filed: |
October 23, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01S 5/3407 20130101;
H01S 5/3054 20130101; H01S 5/34313 20130101; H01S 5/06203 20130101;
H01S 5/3415 20130101; H01S 5/06226 20130101; G02F 3/026 20130101;
H01S 5/183 20130101; H01S 5/3211 20130101; H01L 33/0025
20130101 |
International
Class: |
H01S 5/062 20060101
H01S005/062; H01S 5/183 20060101 H01S005/183; H01S 5/34 20060101
H01S005/34; H01S 5/30 20060101 H01S005/30; H01S 5/32 20060101
H01S005/32; H01S 5/343 20060101 H01S005/343; H01L 33/00 20060101
H01L033/00 |
Claims
1. A method for electrical and optical bistable switching,
comprising the steps of: providing a semiconductor device that
includes a semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type
between semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing a quantum size region in said base
region, and providing base, collector and emitter terminals
respectively coupled with said base, collector, and emitter
regions; providing input electrical signals with respect to said
base, collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical
output signal and light emission from said base region; providing
an optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with the collector
region, and the light emission therefrom, an optical output signal
being obtained from a portion of the light in said optical resonant
cavity; and modifying said input electrical signals to switch back
and forth between a first state wherein the photon density in said
cavity is below a predetermined threshold and said optical output
is incoherent, and a second state wherein the photon density in
said cavity is above said predetermined threshold and said optical
output is coherent, said switching from said first to said second
state being implemented by modifying said input electrical signals
to reduce optical absorption by collector intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling, and said switching from said second to
said first state being implemented by modifying said input
electrical signals to increase photon absorption by collector
intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling.
2. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said step of switching
from said first state said second state includes applying a
stepdownward voltage to said device to reduce photon absorption by
collector intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling.
3. The method as defined by claim 1, wherein said step of switching
from said second state said first state includes applying a
stepupward voltage to said device to increase photon absorption by
collector intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling.
4. The method as defined by claim 2, wherein said step of applying
a stepdownward voltage to said device comprises applying a
collector-emitter voltage, V.sub.CE, below a threshold voltage,
V.sub.TD, to said device while keeping the base current, i.sub.B,
substantially constant.
5. The method as defined by claim 3, wherein said step of applying
a stepupward voltage to said device comprises applying a
collector-emitter voltage, V.sub.CE, above a threshold voltage,
V.sub.TD, to said device while keeping the base current, i.sub.B,
substantially constant.
6. A method for electro-optical bistable switching, comprising the
steps of: providing a semiconductor device that includes a
semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type between
semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing a quantum size region in said base
region, and providing base, collector and emitter terminals
respectively coupled with said base, collector, and emitter
regions; providing electrical signals with respect to said base,
collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical output
signal and light emission from said base region; providing an
optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with the collector
region, and the light emission therefrom, an optical signal being
obtained from a portion of the light in said optical resonant
cavity; and forward sweeping a signal applied to said terminals and
then backward sweeping said signal to obtain both an electrical
output hysteresis characteristic of said device and an optical
output hysteresis characteristic of said device.
7. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said hysteresis is
controllable with the device collector voltage.
8. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said hysteresis is
controllable with the device base current.
9. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said hysteresis is
controllable with the device collector voltage and base
current.
10. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said method is
applied in an electro-optical flip-flop application.
11. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said method is
applied in an electro-optical logic application.
12. The method as defined by claim 6, wherein said method is
applied in an electro-optical memory application.
13. A method for operating a transistor device, comprising the
steps of: providing a semiconductor device that includes a
semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type between
semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing at least one quantum size region in
said base region, and providing base, collector and emitter
terminals respectively coupled with said base, collector, and
emitter regions; providing input electrical signals with respect to
said base, collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical
output signal and light emission from said base region; providing
an optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with said collector
region, and the light emission therefrom; and operating said device
to modulate the photon density in said cavity, by controlling
photon generation by said at least one quantum size region and
controlling photon absorption by intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling, said step of operating said device to modulate the
photon density in said cavity including switching from a first
state of transistor operation to a second state of transistor
operation by applying a stepdownward voltage to said device to
reduce photon absorption by collector intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling; and said step of operating said device to modulate the
photon density in said cavity further including switching from said
second state of transistor operation to said first state of
transistor operation by applying a stepupward voltage to said
device to increase photon absorption by collector intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling.
14. The method as defined by claim 13, wherein said step of
providing an optical resonant cavity comprises providing lateral
reflectors to form an edge-emitting cavity configuration.
15. The method as defined by claim 13, wherein said step of
providing an optical resonant cavity comprises providing vertical
reflectors to form a vertical cavity configuration.
16-19. (canceled)
20. The method as defined by claim 13, wherein in said first state
the photon density in said cavity is below a predetermined
threshold and said light emission is incoherent, and in said second
state the photon density in said cavity is above said predetermined
threshold and said light emission is coherent.
21. The method as defined by claim 13, wherein said step of
operating said device to modulate the photon density in said cavity
comprises controlling the base current and collector voltage of
said semiconductor device.
22. The method as defined by claim 15, wherein an optical output
signal is obtained from a portion of the light in said optical
resonant cavity.
23. The method as defined by claim 14, wherein an optical output
signal is obtained from a portion of the light in said optical
resonant cavity.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] Included in the background hereof are the teachings of U.S.
Pat. No. 9,478,942 of M. Feng, N. Holonyak, Jr., and M. K. Wu,
assigned to the same assignee as the present Application, and
incorporated herein by reference. Reference can also be made to
documents cited therein, including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,091,082,
7,286,583, 7,354,780, 7,535,034, 7,693,195, 7,696,536, 7,711,015,
7,813,396, 7,888,199, 7,888,625, 7,953,133, 7,998,807, 8,005,124,
8,179,937, 8,179,939, 8,494,375, and 8,509,274; U.S. Patent
Application Publication Numbers US2005/0040432, US2005/0054172,
US2008/0240173, US2009/0134939, US2010/0034228, US2010/0202483,
US2010/0202484, US2010/0272140, US2010/0289427, US2011/0150487, and
US2012/0068151; and to PCT International Patent Publication Numbers
WO/2005/020287 and WO/2006/093883 as well as to the publications
referenced in U.S. Patent Application Publication Number
US2012/0068151.
[0002] Bistability occurs in electrical or optical systems in which
there is a region where the output signal has two stable energy
states for a given input. Switching between these states can be
achieved by a change of input level. The input-output relation
forms a hysteresis loop, thus giving the bistability. Electrical
bistable devices are fundamental to digital electronics as building
blocks of switches, logic gates and memories in current computer
systems. For example, any arrangement of transistors (such as CMOS
or BJT) achieving two distinct stable states can be used as a
storage element of a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell.
[0003] Today, digital electronic computers are bandwidth limited by
the signal delay of RC time constants and carrier transit times of
electronic logic. To overcome these problems, optical digital
computers have been considered. Optics are capable of communicating
high bandwidth channels in parallel without suffering interference.
Similarly, optical bistable devices are fundamental to digital
photonics as building blocks of optical switches, optical logic
gates and optical memories. Two features are required to realize an
optical bistable device: nonlinearity and feedback (see, for
example, G. J. Lasher, Solid-State Electron. 7, 707 (1964); K. H.
Levin and C. L. Tang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 34, 376 (1979); H. M.
Gibbs, T. N. C. Venkatesan, S. L. McCall, A. Passner, A. C.
Gossard, and W. Wiegmann, App. Phys. Lett. 34, 511 (1979); D. A. B.
Miller, D. S. Chemla, T. C. Damen, T. H. Wood, C. A. Burns, A. C.
Gossard, and W. Wiegmann, IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 21,
no. 2, 1462 (1985); B. E. A. Saleh and M. C. Teich, Fundamentals of
Photonics (2.sup.nd edition), Wiley, Section 23.4 Optical Gates.)
An optical bistable system can be realized by the use of a
nonlinear optical element whose output beam is used in a feedback
system to control the transmission of light through the element.
However, the full application of optics has yet to be applied to
digital computers for reasons including the lack of suitable
optical logic processors with scalable size and speed.
[0004] In 1991, semiconductor bistable photonic devices were
reported based on the monolithic integration of a vertical cavity
surface emitting laser (VCSEL) and a latching PNPN photothyristor
(see P. Zhou, J. Cheng, C. F. Schyaus, S. Z. Sun, C. Hains, K.
Zheng, E. Armour, W. Hsin, D. R. Myers, and G. A. Vawter, IEEE
Photonics Technol. Lett. 3, pp. 1009-1012 (1991)) as well as two
PNPN photothyristors (see. W. K. Choi and Y. W. Choi, Electronics
Lett. 43, No. 12 Jun. 7 (2007). However, the major issue with a
laser-photothyristor pair is that the PNPN-thyristor stores charge
and has a very slow switching speed, typically in the MHz range.
This fundamental limitation is owing to the saturated nature of the
PNPN switching operation. Once turned on, the PNPN device
accumulates large quantities of charge in its base, and takes a
long time to turn off. This sets a fundamental limit to the speed
of the laser-photothyristor to MHz switching. Other approaches
based on external optical components such as semiconductor optical
amplifiers (SOA), electro-absorption modulators (EAM) and
Mach-Zehnder modulators (MZM) are limited by low coupling
efficiencies and low extinction ratios. Furthermore, these
components are usually built with large lateral dimensions for ease
of optical coupling, and long lengths to increase the extinction
ratios. Such difficulties and large device dimensions (.about.mm)
are difficult for achieving high density integrated designs as
required for logic applications.
[0005] Starting about 2004, with quantum-wells (QWs) incorporated
near the collector in the of a III-V heterojunction bipolar
transistor (HBT), the radiative spontaneous recombination lifetime
(.tau..sub.sp) of the device was reduced to a few picosecond (see
e.g. M. Feng, N. Holonyak, Jr., and R. Chan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 84,
1952 (2004); H. W. Then, M. Feng, N. Holonyak, Jr., and C. H. Wu,
Appl. Phys. Lett. 91, 033505 (2007). As a result, QW-HBTs with
short base-collector metal contacts as in a two-terminal LED had
demonstrated a record LED modulation bandwidth of f.sub.-3
dB.about.7 GHz and confirm a fast .tau..sub.sp.about.23 ps operated
at room temperature (G. Walter, C. H. Wu, H. W. Then, M. Feng, and
N. Holonyak, Jr., Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 231125 (2009)).
Furthermore, the incorporation of an optical cavity for higher Q
enclosing the QW-HBT provided higher photon density
field-enhancement stimulated recombination, coherent light output,
and invention of the transistor laser (see e.g. G. Walter, N.
Holonyak, Jr., M. Feng, and R. Chan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 85, 4768
(2004); R. Chan, M. Feng, N. Holonyak, Jr., and G. Walter, Appl.
Phys. Lett. 86, 131114 (2005); M. Feng, N. Holonyak, Jr., G.
Walter, and R. Chan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 87, 131103, (2005)). The
frequency response and resonance behavior of the semiconductor
laser can be derived from the well-known Statz-deMars' coupled
carrier-photon interaction rate equations (H. Statz and G. DeMars,
Quantum Electronics, 530 (1960)). The modulation bandwidth is
related to e-h radiation recombination lifetimes, photon lifetimes
and cavity photon density. The transistor laser can thus improve
modulation bandwidth and bit-error-rate owing to fast radiative
recombination lifetimes determined by the thin base and ability of
the transistor to inject and collect stored charge within
picoseconds (forcing the base QW recombination to compete with E-C
transport) (see M. Feng, H. W. Then, N. Holonyak, Jr., A. James,
and G. Walter, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 033509 (2009); H. W. Then, M.
Feng, and N. Holonyak, Jr., J. of Appl. Phys. 107, 094509 (2009);
R. Bambery, C. Wang, F. Tan, M. Feng, and N. Holonyak, Jr., IEEE
Photonics Technol. Lett. 27, no 6, 600 (2015).
[0006] Optical absorption for a direct-gap semiconductor can be
enhanced in the presence of a static electrical field and has been
explained as photon-assisted tunneling (PAT) in semiconductor
surface (W. Franz, Z. Naturforsch. 13a, 484 (1958), L. V. Keldysh,
Sov. Phys. JETP 34, 788 (1958); K. Tharmalingham, Phys. Rev. 130,
2204 (1963)) and used in a semiconductor PN junction diode (C. M.
Wolfe, N. Holonyak, Jr., and G. E. Stillman, Physical Properties of
Semiconductors, pp. 219-220, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.
(1989)). However, previous studies have not included the effect of
electro-optical cavity coupling and quality Q. In the transistor
laser, the coherent photons generated at the base quantum-well
interact with the collector field and "assist" optical cavity
electron tunneling from the base valence band to the adjacent
conduction band of the collector junction. As described in M. Feng,
J. Qiu, C. Y. Wang, and N. Holonyak, Jr., J. Appl. Phys. 119,
084502 (2016), the optical absorption can be further enhanced by
the cavity coherent photon intensity of the transistor laser.
[0007] The transistor laser intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling
(ICPAT) modulation via collector voltage (tunneling-collector
voltage) is a unique property and the basis of ultrahigh speed
direct laser voltage modulation and switching (see e.g. A. James,
N. Holonyak, Jr., M. Feng, and G. Walter, IEEE Photonics Technol.
Lett. 19, 680 (2007); M. K. Wu, M. Feng, and N. Holonyak, Jr.,
Appl. Phys. Lett. 101, 2010 (2012); M. Feng and N. Holonyak, Jr.,
Optics & Photonics News (OPN), Optical Society of America pp.
44-49 (OSA), March (2011); H. W. Then, M. Feng, and N. Holonyak,
Jr., Proc. IEEE, 101, 2271 (2013).
[0008] It is among the objectives hereof to overcome limitations of
existing approaches for achieving and exploiting bistability and
fast switching in electro-optical circuits and techniques. It is
also among the objects hereof to devise a new and improved method
of operating a transistor device and modulating photon density in
an optical cavity of the device.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0009] Due to the "planar" geometry of the transistor structure,
the active devices or passive components can be conveniently
replicated into electrical logic building blocks (ICs) for
computing and for all other traditional (electronics) information
processing functions. The uniqueness of the transistor laser and
its "third" port, an optical dimension, is convenient for ICs and
computer. All the required components can be fabricated on a single
epitaxial structure for transistor, laser, detector, and IC
replication, thus facilitating the electronic-photonics integrated
circuits (EOICs) on a very large scale. The transistor laser
fundamentally enables the development of high-speed digital
computation in the optical domain. It possesses the unique 3-port
electrical and optical, characteristics for directly current or
voltage modulation and allows the design of ultra-high-speed
integrated optical switches (see e.g. M. Feng, Han Wui Then, and
Nick Holonyak, Jr., "Transistor Laser Optical NOR Gate for High
Speed Optical Logic Processors," GOMACTech-2017 (Session 8: Beyond
CMOS Technologies (Paper No. 8.4))-Reno, Nev., Mar. 21-(2017) and
see also M. Feng, J. Qiu, C. Y. Wang, and N. Holonyak, Jr., J.
Appl. Phys. 120, 20451 (2016)).
[0010] Previously, electro-optical bistablity was realized via
intracavity photon-assisted tunneling, and demonstrated also in a
ring-cavity transistor laser (RTL), operated at the low temperature
of -50.degree. C. (see U.S. Pat. No. 9,478,942 and M. Feng, N.
Holonyak, Jr., M. K. Wu and F. Tan, J. of Appl. Phys. 121, 153103
(2017)). Optical output was measured by placing the fiber coupling
to the side wall of the ring-cavity transistor laser, thus the
ratio of coherent to incoherent light being proportionately
reduced.
[0011] Embodiments hereof demonstrate both the collector current
I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and the optical L-V.sub.CE family of hystereses
operating at room temperature in an edge-emitting transistor laser
(EETL). The transistor laser electrical and optical bistabilities
are controllable by base current (I.sub.B) and collector voltage
(V.sub.CE). The current switching is due to the transistor base
operation shifting between stimulated and spontaneous e-h
recombination processes at the base-QW. The optical switching of
coherent and incoherent energy states is owing to transistor laser
cavity photon density modulation via intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling controlled by the collector voltage. Different switching
paths between optical (coherent/incoherent) and electrical
(stimulated/spontaneous) energy states result in different
thresholds of input collector voltage. Thus, the operation
principles as physical processes and operating mechanisms in
transistor laser electro-optical bistabilities are considerably
different than the optical hystereses in cavities containing the
nonlinear absorptive (dissipative) and dispersive gain media that
were proposed and observed earlier some of which were referenced
hereinabove.
[0012] Techniques hereof exploit operation in which the optically
radiative portion of a transistor, including one or more quantum
size regions (e.g. quantum well(s)) in the base region thereof, is
effectively put inside an optical cavity, and the optical cavity
controls the photon density in the system. Tunneling is used to
absorb photons, and the quantum-well to generate the photons. Thus,
one can voltage-tune and current-control the electrical and optical
switching between coherent and incoherent state for the light, and
between stimulated and spontaneous recombination for the
current.
[0013] In accordance with a form of the invention, a method is set
forth for electrical and optical bistable switching, including the
following steps: providing a semiconductor device that includes a
semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type between
semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing a quantum size region in said base
region, and providing base, collector and emitter terminals
respectively coupled with said base, collector, and emitter
regions; providing input electrical signals with respect to said
base, collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical
output signal and light emission from said base region; providing
an optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with said collector
region, and the light emission therefrom, an optical output signal
being obtained from a portion of the light in said optical resonant
cavity; and modifying said input electrical signals to switch back
and forth between a first state wherein the photon density in said
cavity is below a predetermined threshold and said optical output
is incoherent, and a second state wherein the photon density in
said cavity is above said predetermined threshold and said optical
output is coherent, said switching from said first to said second
state being implemented by modifying said input electrical signals
to reduce optical absorption by collector intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling, and said switching from said second to
said first state being implemented by modifying said input
electrical signals to increase photon absorption by collector
intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling.
[0014] In an embodiment of this first form of the invention, said
step of switching from said first state said second state includes
applying a stepdownward voltage to said device to reduce photon
absorption by collector intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling, and
said step of switching from said second state said first state
includes applying a stepupward voltage to said device to increase
photon absorption by collector intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling. Also in this embodiment, the step of applying a
stepdownward voltage to said device comprises applying a
collector-emitter voltage, V.sub.CE, below a threshold voltage,
V.sub.TD, to said device while keeping the base current, i.sub.B,
substantially constant, and said step of applying a stepupward
voltage to said device comprises applying a collector-emitter
voltage, V.sub.CE, above said threshold voltage V.sub.TD, to said
device while keeping said base current, i.sub.B, substantially
constant.
[0015] In accordance with another form of the invention, a method
for electro-optical bistable switching is set forth, including the
following steps: providing a semiconductor device that includes a
semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type between
semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing a quantum size region in said base
region, and providing base, collector and emitter terminals
respectively coupled with said base, collector, and emitter
regions; providing electrical signals with respect to said base,
collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical output
signal and light emission from said base region; providing an
optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with said collector
region, and the light emission therefrom, an optical signal being
obtained from a portion of the light in said optical resonant
cavity; and forward sweeping a signal applied to said terminals and
then backward sweeping said signal to obtain both an electrical
output hysteresis characteristic of said device and an optical
output hysteresis characteristic of said device.
[0016] In accordance with a further form of the invention, a method
is set forth for operating a transistor device, including the
following steps: providing a semiconductor device that includes a
semiconductor base region of a first conductivity type between
semiconductor collector and emitter regions of a second
conductivity type, providing at least one quantum size region in
said base region, and providing base, collector and emitter
terminals respectively coupled with said base, collector, and
emitter regions; providing input electrical signals with respect to
said base, collector, and emitter terminals to obtain an electrical
output signal and light emission from said base region; providing
an optical resonant cavity that encloses at least a portion of said
base region, including the junction thereof with said collector
region, and the light emission therefrom; and operating said device
to modulate the photon density in said cavity, by controlling
photon generation by said at least one quantum size region and
controlling photon absorption by intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling.
[0017] In an embodiment of this further form of the invention, said
step of providing an optical resonant cavity comprises providing
lateral reflectors to form an edge-emitting cavity configuration,
and in another embodiment, said step of providing an optical
resonant cavity comprises providing vertical reflectors to form a
vertical cavity configuration. In these embodiments, the step of
operating said device to modulate the photon density in said cavity
can comprise controlling the base current and collector voltage of
said semiconductor device.
[0018] Room temperature operation of both the electrical and
optical bistability of a transistor laser are demonstrated. An
electro-optical hysteresis with sharp square corners and different
voltage thresholds of the collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and L-V.sub.CE
characteristics operating at 20 and 10.degree. C. for the
step-upward and step-downward operations are observed and are
complementary. Because of the switching path differences between
coherent and incoherent cavity photon densities reacting with
collector voltage modulation via intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling (ICPAT)) resulting in the collector voltage difference in
switch-UP and switch-DOWN operations, the TL bistability is
realizable, controllable, and usable. The operations of the
electro-optical hysteresis and bistability in the compact form of
the transistor laser can be employed, for example for high speed
optical logic gate and flip-flop applications. As indicated, room
temperature operation is also demonstrated.
[0019] Further features and advantages of the invention will become
more readily apparent from the following detailed description when
taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 is a schematic energy diagram of a quantum-well (QW)
edge-emitting transistor laser as used in embodiments hereof,
operating by e-h recombination in the base-QW and photon absorption
by intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling (ICPAT) at the collector
junction. The collector current
I.sub.C=I.sub.t+I.sub.ICPAT+I.sub.rT where
I.sub.t=.beta..sub.t.times. I.sub.B+.beta..sub.2.times.
(I.sub.ICPAT+I.sub.rT).
[0021] FIG. 2 includes FIG. 2(a) and FIG. 2(b). FIG. 2(a) is a
scanning electron micrograph of top view of the QW transistor laser
with cavity length L=200 .mu.m, and FIG. 2(b) is a focused ion beam
(FIB) micrograph of a cross-section of the edge-emitting transistor
laser revealing the material and device layers.
[0022] FIG. 3 is a graph of emission spectra of the edge-emitting
transistor laser (EETL) of a cavity length L=200 .mu.m operating at
15.degree. C., I.sub.B=50 mA, and V.sub.CE=1.5V.
[0023] FIG. 4 includes FIG. 4(i) and FIG. 4(ii), with graphs for
the 200 .mu.m transistor, laser (i) Collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and
(ii) L-V.sub.CE characteristics, operating at 20.degree. C.
exhibiting a sharp current step-change and different ICPAT voltage
switching (dotted lines). Four distinct operating regions are
evident: (1) spontaneous recombination below threshold, I.sub.TH=43
mA (solid line), (2) stimulated recombination and coherent light
above threshold (dashed line), (3) collector current and light
output switching from stimulated to spontaneous recombination and
emission at switch-UP voltages V.sub.TU(I.sub.B) (dotted line), and
(4) spontaneous recombination and emission above current threshold
and above voltage threshold V.sub.TU (solid line).
[0024] FIG. 5 includes FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b). In these Figures
there is shown transistor laser electro-optical hysteresis of the
collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE (FIG. 5(a)), and the optical L-V.sub.CE
(I.sub.B) output characteristics (@ 20.degree. C.) with threshold
I.sub.TH=43.4 mA (FIG. 5(b)). In FIG. 5(a) when V.sub.CE increases
from 2 to 3 V, the forward collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and optical
L-V.sub.CE characteristics for the base current I.sub.B=72 to 90 mA
(step .DELTA.I.sub.B=3 mA) exhibit sharp current and optical
switching at switch-UP voltage (V.sub.TU) for a given base current
(solid line). In FIG. 5(b) when V.sub.CE decreases from 3 to 2 V,
the backward I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and L-V.sub.CE characteristics
exhibit sharp current and optical switching at switch-DOWN voltage
V.sub.TD (dotted line).
[0025] FIG. 6 includes FIG. 6(a) and FIG. 6(b). In these Figures
there is shown transistor laser electrical hysterisis of the
collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE (FIG. 6(a)), and optical hysterisis of
the light L-V.sub.CE characteristics operating at 10.degree. C. at
a fixed base current I.sub.B=84 mA (FIG. 6(b)). EETL bistable
states for a given V.sub.CE=2.58 V are realized between lower
electrical energy state (0) with a stimulated and higher optical
energy state (coherent) and higher electrical energy state (1) with
a spontaneous and lower optical energy state (incoherent). It can
be observed that there is a voltage threshold difference between
switch-UP V.sub.TU=2.6 V and switch-DOWN V.sub.TD=2.56 V which
yields electro-optical hysteresis and bistability.
[0026] FIG. 7 includes FIG. 7(i) and FIG. 7(ii). In these Figures
there is shown transistor laser electro-optical hysterisis and
bistability oprtating at 20.degree. C. for a given I.sub.B=84 mA
(I.sub.TH=43 mA). The current difference is .DELTA.I.sub.C=15 mA
and the optical light difference is .DELTA.L=1 mW at V.sub.TU
(switch-UP)=2.60 V and V.sub.TD (switch-DOWN)=2.56 V. A transistor
laser electro-optical bistability is consequently realized and
demonstrated at V.sub.CE=2.58 V between the coherent state (0) and
the incoherent state (1).
[0027] FIG. 8 includes FIG. 8(i) and FIG. 8(ii). In these Figures
there is shown transistor laser electro-optical hysterisis and
bistability oprtating at 10.degree. C. for a given I.sub.B=84 mA
(I.sub.TH=33 mA). The current difference is .DELTA.I.sub.C=25 mA
and the optical light difference is .DELTA.L=2 mW at V.sub.TU
(switch-UP)=3.46 V and V.sub.TD (switch-DOWN)=3.40 V. A transistor
laser electro-optical bistability is realized and demonstrated at
V.sub.CE=3.43 V between the coherent state (0) and the incoherent
state (1).
[0028] FIG. 9 is a state diagram showing the step-up and step-down
technique and states which exploit the electro-optical bistability
characteristics of a transistor laser.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0029] The schematic energy band diagram of a heterojunction
transistor laser (n-p-n) with a quantum-well (QW) in the base,
photon-assisted tunneling at the collector junction, and a
reflecting optical cavity are shown in FIG. 1 operating with
emitter current injection, base recombination and transport, and
tunneling collector current. The base recombination hole current
(I.sub.Br) is supplied by the external base current (I.sub.B), the
intracavity photon-assisted tunneling hole current (I.sub.ICPAT,
h), and the band-to-band tunneling hole current (I.sub.rT). The
collector electron current (I.sub.C) is contributed from the base
electron current reaching the collector junction (It), the
intracavity photon-assisted tunneling electron current
(I.sub.ICPAT, e), and the band-to-band tunneling electron current
(I.sub.rT). The photon generation is due to e-h recombination at
base quantum-well, and the photon absorption is due to intra-cavity
photon-assisted e-h tunneling at the collector junction. The
corresponding hole current contributes to the base for electron
relaxation transport and excess (injected) carrier spontaneous and
stimulated recombination, thus providing at the collector
tunneling-modulation of the laser and tunneling-amplification of
the transistor (see also M. Feng, J. Qiu, C. Y. Wang, and N.
Holonyak, Jr., J. Appl. Phys. 120, 20451 (2016)). The cleaved
mirrors provide the optical cavity with a photon "trap" and leads
to the coherent light and laser output when the photon density is
above the coherent threshold.
[0030] A quantum-well transistor laser (QWTL) that has been
designed and fabricated for improved performance as used in
accordance with a form of the invention is illustrated in FIG. 2(a)
which shows a scanning electron micrograph of the top view of the
coplanar common-emitter TL device and in FIG. 2(b) which shows a
focused ion beam (FIB) micrograph of a cross-section of the
edge-emitting TL. The QWTL in FIG. 2(a) has an emitter cavity width
of .about.2 .mu.m and a cleaved cavity length .about.200 .mu.m and
the emitter, base, and collector contacts denoted as "E", "B", and
"C", respectively. In FIG. 2(b), from the GaAs semi-insulating
substrate (g) upward, the epitaxial structure of the transistor
laser includes a 5000 .ANG. heavily doped n-type GaAs buffer layer
(f) and also 5000 .ANG. of n-type Al.sub.0.95Ga.sub.0.05As serves
as the lower cladding. The collector (e) includes a layer of
Al.sub.0.4Ga.sub.0.6As that serves as a sub-collector and a 1000
.ANG. lightly doped n-type GaAs collector layer. The base (d)
comprises a conduction energy barrier (81 meV) formed by a 100
.ANG. layer of heavily C-doped p-type Al.sub.0.1Ga.sub.0.9As, and a
910 .ANG. heavily doped p-type GaAs base layer. Within the base
region (d), there is incorporated an undoped 150 .ANG.
In.sub.xGa.sub.1-xAs QW designed for emission at
.lamda..apprxeq.980 nm. On top of the base is a 400 .ANG. lightly
doped n-type In.sub.0.49Ga.sub.0.51P emitter layer (c). A 5000
.ANG. n-type GaAs/Al.sub.0.92Ga.sub.0.08As top cladding layer (b)
is grown on top of the emitter. A 1000 .ANG. heavily doped n-type
GaAs emitter contact layer (a) caps the stack of layers.
[Alternatively, the device can be configured as a vertical cavity
device with upper and lower reflectors, for example distributed
Bragg reflectors (DBRs).]
[0031] FIG. 3 shows the transistor laser spectrum .mu.m, with peak
wavelength at 977 nm operating at I.sub.B=50 mA and V.sub.CE=1.5V
at 15.degree. C. The two-headed arrow shows the peak relative
amplitude of 22 dBm.
[0032] A 200 .mu.m cavity EETL operating at 20.degree. C. shows the
measured outputs of (i) the collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and (ii) the
optical L-V.sub.CE family of characteristics in FIG. 4. As seen in
the Figure, the collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE characteristics with a
step-upward collector voltage exhibit sharp current changing at
switch-UP voltage (V.sub.TU) as V.sub.CE increases from 0 to 4 V
and I.sub.B increases from 0 to 90 mA with steps of
.DELTA.I.sub.B=3 mA. Four different operating regions are
identified: (1) the spontaneous region below base current threshold
I.sub.TH=43 mA (solid line), (2) laser stimulated region above base
current threshold (dashed line), (3) the I.sub.ICPAT switch-UP
region (dotted line), and (4) the spontaneous region above base
current threshold (I.sub.TH) and above collector voltage threshold
(V.sub.TH) (solid line). This device shows the unique signature of
TL operation: collector current gain compression at the laser
threshold current I.sub.TH=43 mA. This unique characteristic is
attributed to the change in base recombination lifetime as the
device shifts operation from "slow" spontaneous (solid line) in
region (1) to "faster" stimulated recombination (dashed line) in
region (2).
[0033] The dotted line region (3) in the I.sub.C-V.sub.CE family of
characteristics represents electrical switching in the operation
due to the base-QW shifting from stimulated to spontaneous
recombination. The transistor operates in spontaneous recombination
after collector I.sub.ICPAT switching (solid line) region (4). The
dotted line region (3) in the L-V.sub.CE family of characteristics
represents optical switching owing to the cavity operation shifting
from coherent to incoherent via intra-cavity photon
assisted-tunneling. The transistor laser operates in incoherent
recombination after collector I.sub.ICPAT switching, thus, yielding
only incoherent light output at low intensity (solid line
region).
[0034] For investigating the switching behavior by amplifying
region in FIG. 4, the step-upward (forward) collector
I.sub.C-V.sub.CE family of characteristics at 20.degree. C. (solid
line) in FIG. 5(a) exhibits sharp current change at switch-UP
voltage (V.sub.TU) as V.sub.CE increases from 2 to 3 V and I.sub.B
increases from 72 to 90 mA with steps of .DELTA.I.sub.B=3 mA. For a
given I.sub.B=84 mA (I.sub.TH=43 mA), the current difference is
.DELTA.I.sub.C=15 mA at V.sub.TU=2.60 V. When V.sub.CE decreases
from 3 to 2 V for step-downward (backward) operation, current
switching at different switch-DOWN voltage (V.sub.TD)
characteristics (dotted line) is exhibited in FIG. 5(a). For a
given I.sub.B=84 mA (I.sub.TH=43 mA), the current difference is
.DELTA.I.sub.C=15 mA at V.sub.TD=2.56 V.
[0035] When the device is operated at 10.degree. C. and the
threshold is reduced to I.sub.TH=33 mA, the forward collector
I.sub.C-V.sub.CE family of characteristics (solid line) in FIG.
6(a) exhibit sharper current change at V.sub.TU from 2.5 to 4 V and
I.sub.B increases from 69 to 90 mA with steps of .DELTA.I.sub.B=3
mA. For a given I.sub.B=84 mA (I.sub.TH=33 mA), the current
difference improves to .DELTA.I.sub.C=25 mA at V.sub.TU=3.46 V.
When V.sub.CE decreases from 4 to 2.5 V for backward operation,
different corner current switching at switch-DOWN voltage
(V.sub.TD) characteristics (dotted line) are exhibited in FIG.
6(b). For I.sub.B=84 mA, the current difference increases to
.DELTA.I.sub.C=25 mA at V.sub.TD=3.4 V. Due to the difference in
switch-UP and switch-DOWN voltage, the electrical hystereses in the
collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE family of characteristics are
demonstrated at 20.degree. C. and 10.degree. C., respectively,
[0036] The physical mechanism of switch-UP can be explained by the
base-QW shifting operation from stimulated to spontaneous
recombination when the optical absorption rate by ICPAT increases
with V.sub.CE and exceeds the stimulated photon generation rate at
the base-QW for a given base current, the cavity photon density
then drops below coherent threshold resulting in switching at
switch-UP voltage V.sub.TU. After switching, the transistor is
operating under spontaneous but above laser current threshold
I.sub.TH. The mechanism of switch-DOWN can be explained by the
base-QW shifting operation from spontaneous to stimulated (lasing)
recombination when the optical absorption rate decreases with
V.sub.CE and is lower than the spontaneous photon generation rate,
the cavity photon density (incoherent) increases above the coherent
threshold resulting in switching at switch-DOWN voltage
V.sub.TD.
[0037] It can be observed that the output collector current
(I.sub.C) and the input collector voltage (V.sub.CE) relation forms
a hysteresis loop for a given base current above the laser current
threshold. There is a threshold difference in switch-UP and
switch-DOWN voltages and results in the hysteresis loop as shown in
FIGS. 5(a) and 6(a). Also, the hysteresis loop area increases and
switching slope reduces with temperature decreases. Thus, the
electrical hysteresis family of characteristics is programmable
with base current (I.sub.B), collector voltage (V.sub.CE), and the
junction temperature.
[0038] FIG. 5(b) displays the TL step-upward (forward) optical
L-V.sub.CE (I.sub.B) family of characteristics operating at
20.degree. C. When V.sub.CE increases from 2 to 3 V and I.sub.B
increases from 72 to 90 mA with steps .DELTA.I.sub.B=3 mA, the
forward L-V.sub.CE characteristics exhibit sharp optical change at
V.sub.TU in FIG. 5(b) (solid line) (e.g., .DELTA.L=1 mW for
I.sub.B=84 mA and V.sub.TU=2.6 V). When V.sub.CE decreases from 3
to 2 V, the backward L-V.sub.CE characteristics exhibit optical
change at V.sub.TD in FIG. 5 (b) (e.g., .DELTA.L=1 mW for
I.sub.B=84 mA and V.sub.TD=2.56 V (dotted line).
[0039] FIG. 6(b) displays the TL forward and backward optical
L-V.sub.CE (I.sub.B) family of characteristics operating @
10.degree. C. When V.sub.CE increases from 2.5 to 4 V and I.sub.B
increases from 69 to 90 mA with steps .DELTA.I.sub.B=3 mA, the
forward optical L-V.sub.CE characteristics exhibit sharp optical
change at V.sub.TU in FIG. 6(b) (solid line) (e.g., .DELTA.L=1.5 mW
for I.sub.B=84 mA and V.sub.TU=3.45 V). Forward optical switching @
10.degree. C. in FIG. 6(b) (corresponding to forward electrical
switching as shown in FIG. 6(a)) is due to the optical cavity
shifting operation from coherent to incoherent. When the optical
absorption rate by ICPAT increases with V.sub.CE and is greater
than the optical generation rate at the base-QW, the cavity photon
density drops below coherent threshold resulting in optical
switching at V.sub.TU=3.45V.
[0040] When V.sub.CE decreases from 4 to 2.5 V, the backward
L-V.sub.CE characteristics operating @ 10.degree. C. exhibit
optical step-change at V.sub.TD in FIG. 6(b) (dotted line) (e.g.,
.DELTA.L=1.5 mW for I.sub.B=84 mA and V.sub.TD=3.4 V). Optical
backward switching is owing to the optical cavity shifting
operation from incoherent to coherent. When the optical absorption
rate decreases with V.sub.CE and is below the photon generation
rate, the cavity photon density increases above the threshold
resulting in coherent light output.
[0041] FIG. 7(i) shows the electrical hysteresis of the collector
current I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and FIG. 7(ii) shows the optical
hysteresis of the optical L-V.sub.CE at 20.degree. C. for a fixed
I.sub.B=84 mA. When V.sub.CE increases from 2.5 to 2.58 V, the
I.sub.C and L move forward from point (C) to (A). The base
operation is in stimulated recombination, and the light ouput is
coherent. The cavity photon density reduces by increasing of ICPAT
optical absorption rate with a nearly constant QW optical
generation rate limited by a fixed I.sub.B=84 mA. When V.sub.CE
increases from 2.58 to 2.67 V, the I.sub.C and L (solid line) move
forward from (A) to (D). The cavity operation shifts from coherent
to incoherent when the cavity photon density reduces below the
threshold at V.sub.TU=2.6 V by further increase of ICPAT photon
absorption rate and the base operation shifits from stimulated to
spontaneous recombination. The current difference is
.DELTA.I.sub.C=15 mA and the optical light difference is .DELTA.L=1
mW at V.sub.TU=2.6 V.
[0042] When V.sub.CE decreases from 2.67 to 2.58 V in FIG. 7(ii),
the I.sub.C and L (dotted line) move backward from point (D) to
(B). The base-QW operates in spontaneous recombination and the
light is incoherent. When V.sub.CE decreases from 2.58 to 2.5 V,
the I.sub.C and L (dotted line) moves backward from point (B) to
(C). The base shifts operation from spontaneous to stimulated
recombination at V.sub.TD=2.56 V and the light output shifting from
incoherent to coherent (laser) with further reduction of photon
absorption rate by ICPAT. For a given I.sub.B=84 mA (I.sub.TH=43
mA), the current difference is .DELTA.I.sub.C=15 mA and the optical
light difference is .DELTA.L=1 mW at V.sub.TD=2.56 V. A transistor
laser electro-optical bistability is consequently realized and
demonstrated at V.sub.CE=2.58 V between the coherent state (A) and
the incoherent state (B).
[0043] FIG. 8(i) demonstrates the electrical hysteresis of the
collector current I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and FIG. 8(ii) displays the
optical hysteresis in L-V.sub.CE at 10.degree. C. for I.sub.B=84 mA
with a I.sub.TH=33 mA. When V.sub.CE increases from 3.33 to 3.43 V,
the I.sub.C and L (solid line) move forward from point (C) to (A).
The light ouput is coherent with the base operating in stimulated
recombination. When V.sub.CE further increases from 3.43 to 3.51 V,
the I.sub.C and L (solid line) move forward from point (A) to (D).
The cavity operation shifts from coherent to incoherent with the
photon density reduced below the coherent threshold at
V.sub.TU=3.46 V by further increase of ICPAT photon absorption
rate. As a result, the base operation shifits from stimulated to
spontaneous recombination. The current difference is
.DELTA.I.sub.C=25 mA and the light difference is .DELTA.L=2 mW at
V.sub.TU=3.46 V.
[0044] When V.sub.CE decreases from 3.51 to 3.43 V in FIG. 8 (ii),
the I.sub.C and L (dotted line) move backward from point (D) to
(B). The base operates in spontaneous recombination, the light is
incoherent. When V.sub.CE further decreases from 3.43 to 3.33 V,
the I.sub.C and L (dotted line) move backward from point (B) to
(C). The light output shifts from incoherent to coherent (laser)
with further reduction of photon absorption by ICPAT at
V.sub.TD=3.4 V. As a result, the base shifts operation from
spontaneous to stimulated recombination. The current difference is
.DELTA.I.sub.C=25 mA and the optical light difference is .DELTA.L=2
mW at V.sub.TD=3.4 V. It can be observed that the switching current
and light difference are improved considerably with reduced device
temperature in FIGS. 7 and 8. Transistor laser electro-optical
bistability is thus realized and demonstrated at V.sub.CE=3.43 V
between the coherent state (A) and the incoherent state (B).
[0045] FIG. 9 illustrates schematically the paths of bistability
operation of the transistor laser. A three-port transistor laser
with cavity photon density above laser threshold is labeled as a
coherent energy state (0), the transistor operating under
stimulated recombination in the base-QW providing lower collector
current output and coherent light (laser) output. A transistor
laser with cavity photon density below laser threshold is labeled
as an incoherent energy state (1), the transistor operating under
spontaneous recombination in the base-QW providing higher collector
current output and incoherent light (light-emitting transistor)
output. The switching from state (0) to state (1) is achieved by
the reduction of cavity photon density below coherent threshold via
increasing photon absorption rate with intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling by increasing collector voltage above the switch-UP
threshold (V.sub.CE.gtoreq.V.sub.TU) for a given base current
(I.sub.B). The switching from incoherent state (1) to coherent
state (0) is achieved by the increase of cavity photon density
above laser threshold via reducing photon absorption rate by
decreasing collector voltage below collector switch-DOWN threshold
(V.sub.CE.ltoreq.V.sub.TD) for a given base current (I.sub.B).
[0046] The time delay for the electrical and optical switch-UP is
expected to be advantageously short due to fast intra-cavity
photon-assisted tunneling reducing the cavity photon density below
the incoherent voltage threshold since the quantum tunneling time
is characterized as .about.6 to 8 fs by field emission microscopy
(see S. K. Sekatskii and V. S. Letokhov, Phys. Rev. B 64, 233311
(2001)) and calculates to be .about.20 to 50 fs (see Z. S. Wang, L.
C. Kwek, C. H. Lai, and C. H. Oh, Phys. Rev. A 69, 052108 (2004)).
The time delay for the electrical and optical switch-DOWN is
expected to be relatively longer owing to the slow photon
generation rate via spontaneous e-h recombination (10-50 picosecond
HBT-LET) building up the cavity photon density above the coherent
voltage threshold. The electrical and optical hystereses
demonstrated for the transistor laser are due to the time delay of
different operational paths of e-h and photon
recombination/generation in forward and backward switching.
[0047] Room temperature operation of both the electrical and
optical bistability of a transistor laser have been demonstrated.
An electro-optical hysteresis with sharp square corners and
different voltage thresholds of the collector I.sub.C-V.sub.CE and
L-V.sub.CE characteristics operating at 20 and 10.degree. C. for
the step-upward and step-downward operations are observed and are
complementary. Because of the switching path differences between
coherent and incoherent cavity photon densities reacting with
collector voltage modulation via intra-cavity photon-assisted
tunneling (ICPAT)) resulting in the collector voltage difference in
switch-UP and switch-DOWN operations, the TL bistability is
realizable, controllable, and usable. The operations of the
electro-optical hysteresis and bistability in the compact form of
the transistor laser can be employed, for example, for high speed
optical logic gate and flip-flop applications.
* * * * *