Interband cascade (IC) structures were originally introduced for achieving efficient mid-infrared (IR) lasers [1]. By taking advantage of the broken band-gap alignment in type-II InAs/Ga(In)Sb quantum wells to form interband cascade stages, IC lasers reuse injected electrons for photon generation with high quantum efficiency. Unlike intraband quantum cascade lasers, IC lasers use interband (conduction to valence bands) transitions for photon emission without involving fast phonon scattering, making it possible to significantly lower the threshold current density. Significant progress has been achieved in the development of high-performance IC lasers [2-3]. Some outstanding performance features such as low threshold current densities (e.g. <2 A/cm2 at 80 K, <200 A/cm2 at 300 K) and low power consumption (e.g. <0.1 W in cw operation at room temperature) partially verified the advantages of IC lasers. Also, efficient IC lasers have been demonstrated in the long wavelength IR region (>10 m) based on plasmon waveguides. Recently, quantum engineered IC structures have been explored for other optoelectronic devices such as infrared photodetectors and photovoltaic cells with certain advantages [4-6]. The unique features and status of these IC structures and relevant optoelectronic devices will be reviewed and discussed with recent experimental results.
1. R. Q. Yang, at 7th Inter. Conf. on Superlattices, Microstructures and Microdevices, Banff, Canada, August, 1994; Superlattices and Microstructures 17, 77 (1995); “Novel concepts and structures for infrared lasers”, chapter 2 in Long Wavelength Infrared Emitters Based on Quantum Wells and Superlattices, M. Helm, editor, Gordon and Breach, Singapore, 2000.
2. I. Vurgaftman, W. W. Bewley, C. L. Canedy, C. S. Kim, M. Kim, C. D. Merritt, J. Abell, J. R. Lindle, and J. R. Meyer, “Rebalancing of internally generated carriers for mid-infrared interband cascade lasers with very low power consumption”, Nature Communications, 2, 585 (2011).
3. R. Q. Yang, et al. “Recent progress in development of InAs-based Interband Cascade Lasers” Proc. SPIE, 8640, 86400Q (2013); and references therein.
4. R. Q. Yang, Z. Tian, Z. Cai, J. F. Klem, M. B. Johnson, and H. C. Liu, “Interband cascade infrared photodetectors with superlattice absorbers”, J. Appl. Phys. 107, No. 5, 054514 (2010).
5. H. Lotfi, R. T. Hinkey, L. Li, R. Q. Yang, J. F. Klem, M. B. Johnson, “Narrow-Bandgap photovoltaic devices operating at room temperature and above with high open-circuit voltage”, Appl. Phys. Lett, 102, 211103 (2013).
6. R. T. Hinkey and R. Q. Yang, “Theory of Multiple-Stage Interband Photovoltaic Devices and Ultimate Performance Limit Comparison of Multiple-Stage and Single-Stage Interband Infrared Detectors”, J. Appl. Phys. 114, 104506 (2013).
Dr. Yang received the B.Sc. degree in physics from Zhejiang University in 1982, and the M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from Nanjing University in 1984 and 1987, respectively. He is the inventor of interband cascade lasers with research activities ranging from condensed matter physics to semiconductor quantum devices such as tunneling diodes, mid-infrared lasers and detectors, as well as photovoltaic devices for converting light to electricity. Prior to joining OU as a professor in 2007, he was a Principal Member of Engineering Staff and a Task Manager at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in California, where he led the development of advanced mid-IR IC lasers for applications in Earth sciences and planetary explorations. He received the Edward Stone Award in 2007 from JPL for outstanding research publication and the successful accelerated infusion of cutting-edge interband cascade semiconductor laser technology into flight mission readiness. One of IC lasers that he developed with his colleagues at JPL is currently working in a flight instrument aboard NASA’s Curiosity (好奇号) Rover, which landed on Mars in August 2012. He was elected in 2013 to a Fellow of both IEEE and OSA for his contributions to IC lasers and related optoelectronic devices.