Silicon based QD light sources and lasers

实现基于Si衬底的高效电泵浦激光器是实现III-V族通信技术与Si数据处理和存储电子器件统一的变革性步骤。我们将证明，高性能的发光器件可以使用基于量子点（QD）的方法在Si衬底上制造。成功的结果将为更便宜和更好的硅基光电集成电路提供基础，这是数字经济的关键推动因素，并为即将到来的硅CMOS互连挑战提供潜在的解决方案（其中电子元件之间连接的物理长度和能量要求限制了处理性能）。该项目有望为提高消费者的生活质量和创造财富做出贡献，例如为下一代计算机和更高容量的通信系统提供低成本和更高复杂性的Si芯片。我们将解决的问题包括晶格尺寸的差异，晶格尺寸的不同温度依赖性，硅（大多数电子产品的基础）和大多数III-V族半导体（大多数发光器件的基础）的低功耗要求以及密集集成组件的低器件功耗要求。该研究将研究如何管理硅与III-V族界面之间的晶格失配，引入过滤掉源于该器件区域的晶体缺陷的方法，并将使用相对不容忍该界面产生的任何剩余缺陷的有源层。我们将研究如何制造需要少量电子的器件和损失由这些电子产生的非常少量光子的器件，例如，使用广泛的材料，如用于激光包层的GaInP以降低光学损耗，以及InGaAsN（Sb）以允许量子力学隧穿进入少量激光态，从而最大限度地减少电子使用。这将使整个设备非常节能，这也是必要的，以避免产生大量的废热是困难的（和能源成本）消散。我们还将证明，这是可能的，制造激光镜和波导之间的激光器和其他光学设备，如放大器耦合光。我们将与领先的英国公司联络，这些公司非常适合利用我们工作的直接成果，并与其他学术团体进行互动，在我们的进步得到充分利用之前，需要进行进一步的研究。一个例子是光学成像技术，它将受益于数据采集速度的提高、便携性的增强和我们将生产的设备价格的降低，以允许对例如皮肤癌或导致失明的视网膜疾病进行早期诊断。

Realising efficient electrically-pumped lasers based on Si substrates is the transformative step that enables the unification of III-V based communications technology with Si data processing and memory electronics. We will demonstrate that high performance light emitting devices can be fabricated on Si substrates using an approach based on quantum dots (QDs). The successful outcome will provide the basis for cheaper and better Si-based optoelectronic integrated circuits, a key enabler for the Digital Economy, and provide potential solutions for the impending Si CMOS interconnect challenges (where the physical length and energy requirements of the connections between electronic elements limits processing performance). This project is expected to contribute to improving quality of life for consumers and to wealth creation, for example low-cost and increased complexity Si chips for next-generation computers and higher-capacity communication systems.The problems we will address include the very different crystal lattice size, and the different temperature dependence of the lattice size, of Silicon (the basis for most electronics) and the majority of III-V semiconductors (the basis for most light emitting devices) and the low device power consumption requirements for densely integrated components. The research will investigate how to manage the lattice mismatch across the silicon to III-V interface, introduce methods to filter out crystal defects that originate from this region of the device and will use an active layer that is relatively intolerant to any remaining defects generated by this interface. We will investigate how to make devices that require small numbers of electrons and devices that lose a very small number of the photons generated by these electrons using, for example, a wide range of materials such as GaInP for the laser cladding for low optical loss and InGaAsN(Sb) to allow quantum mechanical tunnelling into a small number of lasing states hence minimising electron use. This will make the overall devices very energy efficient which is also necessary to avoid the generation of large amounts of waste heat that is difficult (and energy costly) to dissipate.We will also demonstrate that it is possible to manufacture laser mirrors and waveguides to couple light between the laser and other optical devices, for example amplifiers. We will liase with leading UK based companies that are ideally placed to exploit the immediate outcomes of our work and also interact with other academic groups, where further research is necessary before our advances can be fully exploited. One example is an optical imaging technique that will benefit from increased data acquisition speed, enhanced portability and reduced price of the devices we will produce to allow early diagnosis of, for example, skin cancer or retinal diseases causing blindness.