CAREER: High-Efficiency Mid-Infrared Diode Lasers Incorporating Novel Metallic Nanoparticle-Enhanced Tunnel Junctions

目的：本研究的目的是解决一个普遍存在于现代光电和光伏器件的基本问题：功率转换效率。高性能光子器件的效率通常受到电阻和光吸收的限制。这项研究的方法是将光子学与纳米技术相结合，以显著提高在电磁波谱中红外部分发射的激光器的性能。这样的激光源将在医学，排放监测，通信等方面找到多种应用。知识优点：中红外二极管激光器的最新进展受到自由孔的光学吸收的阻碍，这增加了功耗并降低了性能。这种跨学科的方法将纳米结构材料科学与半导体物理相结合，以克服这种内在的限制。半金属纳米结构提供了显著减少边缘发射二极管激光器所需的自由空穴数量的能力，大大降低了光损耗，提高了功率转换效率。更广泛的影响：这项研究将产生一种变革性的光子器件范例，适用于固态照明、太阳能发电和绿色计算/通信等广泛的其他问题。这项工作将把拟议的研究与课程和推广活动结合起来，让数百名小学、高中、本科和研究生有才华的学生接触到前沿的光子学和纳米科学研究，以激励他们追求科学和工程事业。这项工作还将为女性和代表性不足的少数民族开发一个光子学本科研究项目。

Objective: The objective of this research is to address a fundamental issue that pervades modern optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices: power conversion efficiency. The efficiency of highperformance photonic devices is typically limited by a combination of electrical resistance and optical absorption. The approach of this research is to combine photonics with nanotechnology to dramatically enhance the performance of lasers that emit in the mid-infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Such laser sources will find manifold applications in medicine, emissions monitoring, communications, etc.Intellectual Merit: Recent advances in mid-infrared diode lasers are hampered by the optical absorption of free holes, which increases power consumption and degrades performance. This interdisciplinary approach couples nanostructured materials science with semiconductor physics to surmount this intrinsic limitation. Semimetallic nanostructures offer the capability to dramatically reduce the number of free holes that are required in edge emitting diode lasers, substantially reducing the optical loss, and enhancing power conversion efficiency.Broader Impact: This research will produce a transformative photonic device paradigm that is applicable to a broad range of other problems in solid state lighting, solar power generation, and green computing/communications. The effort will integrate the proposed research with courses and outreach activities, exposing hundreds of talented students at the elementary, high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels to cutting edge photonics and nanoscience research to inspire them to pursue science and engineering careers. This work will also develop an undergraduate research program in photonicsfor women and underrepresented minorities.