Optical properties of nonpolar III-nitrides for intersubband photodetectors

We compare the theoretical optical properties of intersubband transitions for polar III-nitrides, nonpolar III-nitrides, and conventional GaAs. We calculate and examine the peak transition wavelengths, dipole matrix elements, and absorption spectra as a function of quantum well thickness for single...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of applied physics 2013-04, Vol.113 (13)
Main Authors: Feezell, Daniel, Sharma, Yagya, Krishna, Sanjay
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:We compare the theoretical optical properties of intersubband transitions for polar III-nitrides, nonpolar III-nitrides, and conventional GaAs. We calculate and examine the peak transition wavelengths, dipole matrix elements, and absorption spectra as a function of quantum well thickness for single quantum well structures on each platform. We show that the absence of polarization-related electric fields in nonpolar III-nitrides simplifies device design and facilitates clear performance advantages over conventional polar III-nitrides, including access to a wider range of absorption wavelengths, a several-fold increase in the dipole matrix element, and higher absorption probability. Compared to conventional GaAs-based structures, nonpolar III-nitrides exhibit a somewhat lower absorption probability but allow for a significantly wider design space, permitting devices operating at wavelengths that are unattainable using GaAs.
ISSN:0021-8979
1089-7550
DOI:10.1063/1.4798353