Semiconductor Devices

Presentation on Photonic sources of light

Dr. Atul Vir Singh Assistant Professor Shiv Nadar University

Student Presenter
Rohit Singh M.Tech (VST) Shiv Nadar University

Photonic sources of light

Photonic sources of light are those source of light in which the basic particle of light-the photon, plays a major role. LED LASER

Light Emitting Diode: LED

What is an LED?
Light-emitting diode Semiconductor Has polarity

LED: How It Works

When current flows across a diode

Negative electrons move one way and positive holes move the other way

LED: How It Works

The holes exist at a lower energy level than the free electrons

Therefore when a free electrons falls it losses energy

LED: How It Works

This energy is emitted in a form of a photon, which causes light

The color of the light is determined by the fall of the electron and hence energy level of the photon

Calculation of wavelength emitted by LED

where E is energy h is planks constant and c is velocity of light is wavelength of light.

E=hc/
1.240 ( m) E g (eV)

Rearranging the term we get final equation.

Inside a Light Emitting Diode

1. Transparent Plastic Case 2. Terminal Pins 3. Diode

Kinds of LEDs

Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation : LASER

Principle of Laser Diode

Stimulated Emission
E2 h h E2 h In E2 h Out h E1 E1 E1

(a) Absorption

(b) Spontaneous emission (c) Stimulated emission

In stimulated emission, an incoming photonemission andh Absorption, spontaneous (random photon) with energy stimulated emission. stimulates the emission process by inducing electrons in E2 to transit down to E1.Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall) 1999 S.O. While moving down to E1, photon of the same energy h will be emitted Resulting in 2 photons coming out of the system Photons are amplified one incoming photon resulting in two photons coming out.

Population Inversion
Non equilibrium distribution of atoms among the various energy level atomic system To induce more atoms in E2, i.e. to create population inversion, a large amount of energy is required to excite atoms to E2 The excitation process of atoms so N2 > N1 is called pumping It is difficult to attain pumping when using two-level-system. Require 3-level system instead
N2> N1 N2

More atoms here

E2

N1

E1

E3 E2

There level system

E1

Principles of Laser
E h 1 3
3

h 3 2
3

E
Metastable state

IN

OUT

h 2 1 E

h 2 1 E
Coherent photons
1

E ( a)

(b )

(c)

(d )

In actual case, excite atoms from E1 to E3. Exciting atoms from E1 to E3 optical pumping . Atoms from E3 decays rapidly to E2 emitting h3 If E2 is a long lived state, atoms from E2 will not decay to E1 rapidly Condition where there are a lot of atoms in E2 population inversion achieved! i.e. between E2 and E1.

Coherent Photons Production

When one atom in E2 decays spontaneously, a random photon resulted which will induce stimulated photon from the neighbouring atoms The photons from the neighbouring atoms will stimulate their neighbours and form avalanche of photons. Large collection of coherent photons resulted.

Laser Diode Principle

Consider a p-n junction In order to design a laser diode, the p-n junction must be heavily doped. In other word, the p and n materials must be degenerately doped By degenerated doping, the Fermi level of the n-side will lies in the conduction band whereas the Fermi level in the p-region will lie in the valance band.

p+ E c E E Ev Fp g Holes in VB Electrons

Diode Laser Operation

Junction n+ eV p+ o E c E g Inversion region n+

E
E c eV

Fn

E Electrons in CB E Fn c

E E ( a)

Fp

(b)

P-n junction must be degenerately doped. Fermi level in valance band (p) and conduction band (n). No bias, built n potential; eVo barrier to stop electron and holes movement

Forward bias, eV> Eg Built in potential diminished to zero Electrons and holes can diffuse to the space charge layer

Application of Forward Bias

Suppose that the degenerately doped p-n junction is forward biased by a voltage greater than the band gap; eV > Eg The separation between EFn and EFp is now the applied potential energy The applied voltage diminished the built-in potential barrier, eVo to almost zero. Electrons can now flow to the p-side Holes can now flow to the n-side

Population Inversion in Diode Laser

More electrons in the conduction band near EC

EFn eV Eg EFp
EFn-EfP = eV eV > Eg eV = forward bias voltage Fwd Diode current pumping injection pumping

CB Electrons in CB Than electrons in the valance band near EV

Holes in VB VB

There is therefore a population inversion between energies near EC and near EV around the junction. This only achieved when degenerately doped p-n junction is forward bias with energy > Egap

The Lasing Action

The population inversion region is a layer along the junction also call inversion layer or active region Now consider a photon with E = Eg Obviously this photon can not excite electrons from EV since there is NO electrons there However the photon CAN STIMULATE electron to fall down from CB to VB. Therefore, the incoming photon stimulates emission than absorption The active region is then said to have optical gain since the incoming photon has the ability to cause emission rather than being absorbed.

Pumping Mechanism in Laser Diode

It is obvious that the population inversion between energies near EC and those near EV occurs by injection of large charge carrier across the junction by forward biasing the junction. Therefore the pumping mechanism is FORWARD DIODE CURRENT Injection pumping

For Successful Lasing Action:

1. 2. Optical Gain (not absorb) Achieved by population inversion Optical Feedback Achieved by device configuration Needed to increase the total optical amplification by making photons pass through the gain region multiple times Insert 2 mirrors at each end of laser This is term an oscillator cavity or Fabry Perot cavity Mirrors are partly transmitted and party reflected

Reflection of Photons Back and Forth, Higher Gain

Fabry-Parrot Cavity

The photons vibrates to and forth with resonant wavelength

Difference between LASER and LED

LASER Lasers are monochromatic (single color wavelength), collimated (non-divergent) and coherent (wavelengths in- phase) The peak output power is measured in watt LED LED's are neither coherent nor collimated and generate a broader band of wavelengths (multiple). The peak output power is measured in milliwatt.

Graph between optical power and diode current

Thank You !