Quantum-Dot Lasers-Desynchronized Nonlinear Dynamics of Electrons and Holes

We analyze the complex turn-on behavior of semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) lasers in terms of a nonlinear rate equation model for the electron and hole densities in the QDs and the wetting layer, and the photons. A basic ingredient of the model is the nonlinearity of the microscopic carrier-carrier s...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE journal of quantum electronics 2009-11, Vol.45 (11), p.1396-1403
Main Authors: Ludge, K., Scholl, E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Charge carrier processes
Laser modes
Laser theory
Microscopy
Nonlinear equations
Nonlinear relaxation oscillations (ROs)
Optical scattering
Particle scattering
Quantum dot lasers
Quantum dots
quantum-dot (QD) lasers
Semiconductor lasers
turn-on dynamics
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Summary:We analyze the complex turn-on behavior of semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) lasers in terms of a nonlinear rate equation model for the electron and hole densities in the QDs and the wetting layer, and the photons. A basic ingredient of the model is the nonlinearity of the microscopic carrier-carrier scattering rates. With the framework of detailed balance, we analytically relate the microscopic in- and out-scattering rates. We gain insight into the anomalous nonlinear dynamics of QD lasers by a detailed analysis of various sections of the 5-D phase space, accounting for density-dependent carrier scattering times. We show that the strongly damped relaxation oscillations are characterized by a desynchronization of electron and hole dynamics in the dots. Analytic approximations for the steady-state characteristics are also derived.
ISSN:0018-9197
1558-1713
DOI:10.1109/JQE.2009.2028159