Short-wave infrared LEDs from GeSn/SiGeSn multiple quantum wells

Group IV photonics is on its way to be integrated with electronic circuits, making information transfer and processing faster and more energy efficient. Light sources, a critical component of photonic integrated circuits, are still in development. Here, we compare multi-quantum-well (MQW) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with Ge0.915Sn0.085 wells and Si0.1Ge0.8Sn0.1 barriers to a reference Ge0.915Sn0.085 homo-junction LED. Material properties as well as band structure calculations are discussed, followed by optical investigations. Electroluminescence spectra acquired at various temperatures indicate effective carrier confinement for electrons and holes in the GeSn quantum wells and confirm the excellent performance of GeSn/SiGeSn MQW light emitters. (C) 2017 Optical Society of America