Research : Transistor laser

Ⅰ. Transistor laser

We propose a new light source “Transistor Laser (TL)” for next generation optical communication. The structure of a TL (Fig. 1) is similar to that of n-p-n hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT). Electrons injected from an emitter are diffused, and a portion of the electrons is recombined at the active layer while the rest are removed from the collector. Due to this carrier pulling effect, fast carrier supply to the active layer is realized and as a result, high-speed modulation beyond conventional laser diodes can be achieved.

We adopt AlGaInAs/InP active layer. With this alloy, a large gain and superior thermal characteristics are obtained. The structure of a TL is based on buried-heterostructure (BH) to achieve high performance.

Ⅱ. Experimental results

Figure 2 shows lasing characteristics under common-base configuration. First lasing operation under room-temperature pulse condition was achieved. The threshold current was 160 mA and the external quantum efficiency from both facets was 2.5%. Figure 3 shows current characteristics of the device. Current gain 6~8 was obtained. As the graph shows, lasing and transistor operation were demonstrated.

List of reports

Journal Papers

(1) M. Shirao, S. Lee, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Large-signal Analysis of a Transistor Laser”, IEEE J. Quantum Electron, Vol. 47, No. 3, pp. 359-367, Mar. 2011.
(2) M. Shirao, T. Sato, Y. Takino, N. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Room-Temperature Continuous-Wave Operation of 1.3-µm Transistor Laser with AlGaInAs/InP Quantum Wells”, Appl. Phys. Express, Vol. 4, No. 7, pp. 072101-1-3, June 2011.
(3) Y. Takino, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, T. Amemiya, and S. Arai, “Regrowth Interface Quality Dependence on Thermal Cleaning of AlGaInAs/InP Buried-Heterostructure Lasers”, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys., Vol. 50, No. 7, pp. 070203-1-070203-3, July 2011.
(4) M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Room-Temperature Operation of 1.3-µm Transistor Laser with AlGaInAs/InP Quantum Wells”, Opt. Express, Vol. 20, No. 4, pp. 3983-3989, Feb. 2011.
(5) Y. Takino, M. Shirao, N. Sato, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, T. Amemiya, and S. Arai, “Improved Regrowth Interface of AlGaInAs/InP-Buried-Heterostructure Lasers by In-Situ Thermal Cleaning”, J. Quantum. Electron., Vol. 48, No. 8, pp. 971-979, Aug. 2012.

International Conferences

(1) M. Shirao, N. Nishiyama, S. Lee, and S. Arai, “Large Signal Analysis of AlGaInAs/InP Laser Transistor”, Conference on Lasers and Electro Optics/International Quantum Electronics conference (CLEO/IQEC 2010), CMY 7, May 2010.
(2) Y. Takino, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Investigation of Regrowth Interface Quality of AlGaInAs/InP Buried Heterostructure Lasers”, The 22nd International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials (IPRM 2010), Wep27, May 2010.
(3) M. Shirao, T. Sato, Y. Takino, N. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Lasing Operation of Long-Wavelength Transistor Laser Using AlGaInAs/InP Quantum Well Active Region”, The 23rd International Conference on Indium Phosphide and Related Materials (IPRM 2011), Tu-3.2.4, May 2011.
(4) N. Sato, Y. Takino, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Effect of Thermal Cleaning on Regrowth Interface Quality of AlGaInAs/InP Buried Heterostructure Lasers”, The 38th International Symposium on Compound Semiconductors (ISCS 2011), P5.60, May 2011.
(5) T. Sato, M. Shirao, N. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “Room-Temperature Lasing Operation of a 1.3-µm npn-AlGaInAs/InP Transistor Laser”, The IEEE Photonic 2011 Conference (IPC 2011), WDD5, Oct. 2011.
(6) N. Sato, M. Shirao, T. Sato, M. Yukinari, N. Nishiyama, T. Amemiya, and S. Arai, “Room-Temperature Continuous-Wave Operation of a 1.3-µm npn-AlGaInAs/InP Transistor Laser”, The 23rd IEEE International Semiconductor Laser Conference (ISLC 2012), MA7, Oct. 2012.

Domestic Conferences

(1) M. Shirao, D. Imanishi, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “長波長帯レーザトランジスタ実現へ向けたベース層の構造設計”, The 69th Autumn Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 2p-P3-7, Sep. 2008.
(2) M. Shirao, Y. Takino, S. Lee, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “レート方程式によるAlGaInAs長波長帯レーザトランジスタの動作解析”, The 70th Autumn Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, Digest III, 10p-S-10, Sep. 2009.
(3) M. Shirao, N. Nishiyama, S. Lee, and S. Arai, “AlGaInAs量子井戸活性層を有する長波長帯レーザトランジスタ変調効率の構造依存性”, The 57th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 19p-E-6, Mar. 2010.
(4) Y. Takino, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “AlGaInAs/InP埋め込みヘテロ構造レーザにおける再成長界面品質のサーマルクリーニング依存性”, The 57th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 19p-E-4, Mar. 2010.
(5) Y. Takino, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “AlGaInAs埋め込みヘテロ構造レーザにおけるサーマルクリーニング中雰囲気の再成長界面品質に対する影響”, The 71st Autumn Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 19p-H-14, Aug. 2010.
(6) M. Shirao, N. Nishiyama, S. Lee, and S. Arai, “3端子を有するヘテロ接合バイポーラトランジスタ型SOAの数値解析”, The 58th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 27a-P8-10, Mar. 2011
(7) T. Sato, M. Shirao, Y. Takino, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “1.3-µm帯pnp-AlGaInAsレーザトランジスタの室温連続動作”, The 58th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 26a-P5-14, Mar. 2011.
(8) N. Sato, Y. Takino, T. Sato, M. Shirao, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “AlGaInAs/InP埋め込みヘテロ構造レーザにおけるサーマルクリーニング中温度の再成長界面品質に対する影響”, The 58th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 26a-P5-15, Mar. 2011.
(9) T. Sato, M. Shirao, N. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “1.3-µm帯npn-AlGaInAsレーザトランジスタの室温パルス動作”, The 72nd Autumn Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 1a-ZL-10, Sep. 2011.
(10) N. Sato, M. Shirao, T. Sato, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “ICP-RIEを用いたAlGaInAs/InP埋め込みヘテロ構造レーザ”, The 72nd Autumn Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 1a-ZL-9, Sep. 2011.
(11) Sato, M. Shirao, N. Sato, M. Yukinari, N. Nishiyama, and S. Arai, “1.3-µm帯npn-AlGaInAsレーザトランジスタの室温連続動作”, The 59th Spring Meeting; The Japan Society of Applied Physics, 16a-F3-8, Mar. 2012.