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

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Abstract
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.