Modeling and experimental study on a hot electron barrier light emitter (HEBLE)

Further investigations on a hot electron barrier light emitter (HEBLE), which has a potential for use in the area of wavelength domain multiplexing (WDM), have been undertaken. These investigations follow the works, which were presented over the last two years in Photonics West 98 and 99. The structure of the device is based on AlxGa1-xAs-GaAs system with a single quantum well of GaAs. The novelty of the device is how it is operated. Unlike a normal light emitter, HEBLE has a barrier between the n-doped region and the quantum well, which prevents the electrons flooding into the quantum well, hence no light output, when it is forward biased. To obtain the light output, not only the device must be forward biased, but also the n-doped region must be electrically heated, so the electrons will have enough energy to overcome the barrier and move into the quantum well. The devices have been fabricated following the results of the computer simulation, which was presented last year in Photonics West 99. The results of these devices, which have been studied in many aspects including spectral analysis of the light output at different temperatures, will be presented.