Short-wave infrared LEDs from GeSn/SiGeSn multiple quantum wells

Group IV photonics is on the way to be integrated with electronic circuits, making information transfer and processing faster and more energy efficient. Light sources, a critical component of photonic integrated circuits, are still in development. Here, we compare Multi-Quantum-Well (MQW) light emitting diodes (LEDs) with Ge0.915Sn0.085 wells and Si0.1Ge0.8Sn0.1 to a reference Ge0.915Sn0.085 homojunction LED. Material properties as well as band structure calculations are discussed, followed by optical investigations. Electroluminescence spectra acquired at various temperatures indicate an effective carrier confinement for electrons and holes in the GeSn quantum wells and confirm the excellent performance of GeSn/SiGeSn MQW light emitters.