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Bismide-Based Photonic Devices for Near- and Mid-Infrared Applications

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Bismuth-Containing Compounds

Part of the book series: Springer Series in Materials Science ((SSMATERIALS,volume 186))

Abstract

Bismides are a new class of III–V semiconductor alloys which are gaining interest due to their many potential applications. In this chapter we show how the addition of bismuth atoms to III–V alloys gives rise to useful band structure properties, such as a large band gap bowing, making it possible to produce narrow gap (near- and mid-infrared) materials and devices on conventionally used III–V substrates such as GaAs and InP. In addition, bismuth-containing alloys can provide a large spin-orbit splitting energy which offers the potential to reduce or eliminate the important non-radiative Auger recombination and inter-valence band absorption processes which dominate the performance of near- and mid-infrared lasers and LEDs. Furthermore, we show that by adding nitrogen to the alloys, lattice-matched narrow band gap semiconductor heterostructures may be produced with the possibility of wide control of the conduction and valence offsets. Finally, we provide a discussion of the physics of devices based upon bismide alloys.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all of the collaborative partners that we have worked with on bismide alloys, and, in particular, the groups of Prof. Tom Tiedje at the University of Victoria, Canada, and Prof. Joshua Zide at the University of Delaware, USA, for the supply of samples. We are very pleased to acknowledge financial support for this activity as follows: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) grants EP/H005587/1 and EP/G064725/1, European Union Seventh Framework Programme (BIANCHO; FP7-257974), the Technology Strategy Board “ETOE2” project, the Islamic University of Bahawalpur FDP and the Kwan Trust for funding a studentship for Z.B.; UTM and MOHE GUP grant 01H55 for T.J.C.H.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Advanced Technology Institute and Department of Physics, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK

    S. J. Sweeney, I. P. Marko, S. R. Jin, K. Hild, Z. Batool, N. Hossain & T. J. C. Hosea

  2. Ibnu Sina Institute for Advanced Studies, Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

    T. J. C. Hosea

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  1. S. J. Sweeney
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  2. I. P. Marko
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  3. S. R. Jin
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  4. K. Hild
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  5. Z. Batool
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  6. N. Hossain
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  7. T. J. C. Hosea
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Correspondence to S. J. Sweeney .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

    Handong Li

  2. State Key Laboratory of Electronic, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, People's Republic of China

    Zhiming M. Wang

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Sweeney, S.J. et al. (2013). Bismide-Based Photonic Devices for Near- and Mid-Infrared Applications. In: Li, H., Wang, Z. (eds) Bismuth-Containing Compounds. Springer Series in Materials Science, vol 186. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8121-8_2

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