Tunnel injection and phonon-assisted recombination in multiple quantum-well AlxGa1−xAs-GaAs p-n heterostructure lasers grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

Stripe-geometry multiple quantum-well AlxGa1−xAs-GaAs heterostructure laser diodes are described that exhibit tunnel injection with LO phonon participation in the injection and the recombination process. The diodes are constructed by Zn diffusion into n-type AlxGa1−xAs-GaAs heterostructures grown by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD). At bias voltages V< (1/q) Eg(AlGaAs) in which tunneling is important, laser operation (4.2–77 °K) of these quantum-well diodes is obtained an LO phonon energy (∼36 meV) below the first electron–to–heavy-hole (No. 1 e→hh) confined-particle transitions of the coupled GaAs quantum wells (six wells, Lz∼120 Å). In the normal injection bias range V∼ (1/q) Eg(AlGaAs), recombination radiation is identified on the No. 2 e→hh transitions and an LO phonon energy below the second electron-to-light-hole (No. 2′ e→lh) confined-particle transitions. Phonon involvement in the recombination process is identified also in the range between confined-particle transition 1-1′ and 2.