SC154 Quantum Well Devices for Optics and Optoelectronics

Sunday, May 16, 2010
2:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m.
David A. B. Miller; Stanford Univ., USA
Level: Beginner (no background or minimal training is necessary to understand course material)


Course Description

Semiconductor structures containing very thin “quantum well” layers have many special physical properties that allow high performance and/or novel optoelectronic devices. Most modern semi-conductor optoelectronic devices in III-V materials (e.g., GaAs, InGaAs) now rely on such structures. Applications include low-threshold laser diodes (both edge-emitting and surface emitting), high power laser diodes, quantum cascade lasers, optical modulators, laser modelockers, and various novel photodetectors, optical switches and other devices. Many of the devices are well suited for fabrication in arrays and for integration with other optical and electronic devices. Recent work also is promising for integration directly and monolithically with silicon electronics, using germanium quantum wells, for use in interconnects and telecommunications. This course will introduce the special physical principles behind quantum well devices and summarize the many current devices and their operating principles.


Benefits and Learning Objectives

This course should enable you to:

  • Explain what quantum wells are and how they are made.
  • Identify the basic physical principles of quantum confinement and quantum wells.
  • Design quantum wells.
  • Describe the special optical and optoelectronic properties of quantum wells.
  • Explain the principles of quantum well optoelectronic devices, including lasers, modelockers (saturable absorbers), detectors and modulators.

Intended Audience

The course is intended for those interested in understanding how modern optoelectronic devices work, the range of applications and the potential for novel or improved devices. The course is relatively self-contained. Some basic knowledge about optoelectronics, semiconductors or quantum mechanics is desirable, though not essential.


Biography

David A. B. Miller received a bachelor’s degree from St. Andrews University and a doctorate from Heriot-Watt University. He is a professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University and directs the Solid State and Photonics Lab. His research interests include quantum-well optoelectronic and nanophotonic physics and devices, and applications of optics in information processing. He has published more than 250 papers and holds 60 patents, and he received several awards for his research. He is a Fellow of the Royal Societies of London and Edinburgh, OSA, APS and IEEE, and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences.