Intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling collector-base voltage-mediated electron-hole spontaneous-stimulated recombination transistor laser

Optical absorption in a p-n junction diode for a direct-gap semiconductor can be enhanced by photon-assisted tunneling in the presence of a static or dynamic electrical field. In the transistor laser, the coherent photons generated at the base quantum-well interact with the collector field and assist optical cavity electron tunneling from the valence band of the base to the conduction band states of the collector. In the present work, we study the cavity coherent photon intensity effect on intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling (ICPAT) in the transistor laser and realize photon-field enhanced optical absorption. This ICPAT in a transistor laser is the unique property of voltage (field) modulation and the basis for ultrahigh speed direct laser modulation and switching. (C) 2016 AIP Publishing LLC.