Materials World Network: Nanostructures with Controllable Parameters for Mid-Infrared Photonics

This research effort aims to circumvent the fundamental limit of room temperature performance of contemporary mid-infrared photonic devices. The natural narrow bandgap materials suffer from severe nonradiative recombination and free carrier absorption. This peculiarity averts development of high performance room temperature operated longwavelength optoelectronic devices in the technologically important 2 to 5 m spectral range. The investigators plan to develop a new class of high radiative efficiency mid-infrared nanostructures based on the GaSb material system including GaSb dilute-nitrides. The participating researchers perform detailed studies of the carrier recombination dynamics, including original experimental investigation of the theoretically predicted resonant and interface assisted Auger recombination specific to nanomaterials for mid-infrared photonics. The role of hot carrier and nonequlibrium phonon effects are paid special attention. The original concept of the resonant Auger assisted population inversion is experimentally studied for the first time. The development of a novel class of mid-infrared nanostructure materials, complemented with comprehensive experimental and theoretical studies, will enhance knowledge of narrow gap nanostructure physics and can transform traditional approaches to mid-infrared photonic device design. This project is a collaborative research effort between the State University of New York at Stony Brook (USA) and Saint-Petersburg State Polytechnic University (Russia). The combination of expertise at Stony Brook in design and manufacturing of mid-infrared photonic devices and the expertise of the Russian counterparts in experimental and theoretical studies of the hot carrier and recombination phenomena in narrow gap semiconductors makes the proposed material development to rely on comprehensive understanding of the underlying physics and to be oriented at real world applications. The intellectual merit includes advancing knowledge and understanding of the physical phenomena particular to low dimensional carriers and improving the understanding of Auger recombination and free carrier absorption in narrow gap nanostructures. The project may result in a significant technology addition to national security. GaSb- and InAs-based narrow band gap nanostructure materials are poised to provide the basis for room temperature operation, mid-infrared photonics. This award is co-supported by the Office of International Science and Engineering.