Materials World Network: Nanostructures with Controllable Parameters for Mid-Infrared Photonics

这项研究工作旨在规避当代中红外光子器件室温性能的基本限制。天然窄带隙材料遭受严重的非辐射复合和自由载流子吸收。这一特性阻碍了在技术上重要的 2 至 5 m 光谱范围内高性能室温操作长波长光电器件的开发。研究人员计划开发一种基于GaSb材料系统（包括GaSb稀氮化物）的新型高辐射效率中红外纳米结构。参与研究的研究人员对载流子复合动力学进行了详细研究，包括对中红外光子学纳米材料特有的理论预测共振和界面辅助俄歇复合的原始实验研究。热载流子的作用和非平衡声子效应受到特别关注。首次对共振俄歇辅助粒子数反演的原始概念进行了实验研究。新型中红外纳米结构材料的开发，辅以全面的实验和理论研究，将增强窄间隙纳米结构物理学知识，并可以改变中红外光子器件设计的传统方法。该项目是纽约州立大学石溪分校（美国）和圣彼得堡国立理工大学（俄罗斯）之间的合作研究成果。石溪分校在中红外光子器件设计和制造方面的专业知识与俄罗斯同行在窄带隙半导体热载流子和复合现象的实验和理论研究方面的专业知识相结合，使得所提出的材料开发依赖于对基础物理的全面理解并面向现实世界的应用。智力价值包括增进对低维载流子特有的物理现象的知识和理解，以及提高对窄带隙纳米结构中俄歇复合和自由载流子吸收的理解。该项目可能会给国家安全带来重大技术补充。 GaSb 和 InAs 基窄带隙纳米结构材料有望为室温操作、中红外光子学提供基础。该奖项由国际科学与工程办公室共同支持。

This research effort aims to circumvent the fundamental limit of room temperature performance of contemporary mid-infrared photonic devices. The natural narrow bandgap materials suffer from severe nonradiative recombination and free carrier absorption. This peculiarity averts development of high performance room temperature operated longwavelength optoelectronic devices in the technologically important 2 to 5 m spectral range. The investigators plan to develop a new class of high radiative efficiency mid-infrared nanostructures based on the GaSb material system including GaSb dilute-nitrides. The participating researchers perform detailed studies of the carrier recombination dynamics, including original experimental investigation of the theoretically predicted resonant and interface assisted Auger recombination specific to nanomaterials for mid-infrared photonics. The role of hot carrier and nonequlibrium phonon effects are paid special attention. The original concept of the resonant Auger assisted population inversion is experimentally studied for the first time. The development of a novel class of mid-infrared nanostructure materials, complemented with comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies, will enhance knowledge of narrow gap nanostructure physics and can transform traditional approaches to mid-infrared photonic device design.This project is a collaborative research effort between the State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA) and Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University (Russia). The combination of expertise at Stony Brook in design and manufacturing of mid-infrared photonic devices and the expertise of the Russian counterparts in experimental and theoretical studies of the hot carrier and recombination phenomena in narrow gap semiconductors makes the proposed material development to rely on comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics and to be oriented at real world applications. The intellectual merit includes advancing knowledge and understanding of the physical phenomena particular to low dimensional carriers and improving the understanding of Auger recombination and free carrier absorption in narrow gap nanostructures. The project may result in a significant technology addition to national security. GaSb- and InAs-based narrow band gap nanostructure materials are poised to provide the basis for room temperature operation, mid-infrared photonics.This award is co-supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering.