NEW! SC319 Quantum Dot Laser Diodes

Monday, May 5, 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Peter Blood; Cardiff Univ., UK

Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)

Course Description
Quantum dots are enabling significant advances to be made in the performance of laser diodes, for example production of ultra-low threshold current lasers and ultra-short pulse generation. These advances derive from distinctive features of quantum dot structures. This course provides an introduction to the basic principles of operation of quantum dot lasers and gives a survey of their current performance characteristics. The course includes a description of typical device structures and material systems, and provides an account of optical gain and recombination processes in dots, comparing and contrasting their properties with those of quantum well systems. Issues of particular significance for quantum dot lasers such as inhomogeneous broadening and non-thermal carrier distributions are addressed. The theme of the course is to indicate how the distinctive performance features of these devices derive from the physical characteristics of the dots themselves. Key application areas are discussed and key topics for continuing research identified.

Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:

• Describe typical quantum dot laser structures.
• Identify distinctive performance characteristics and significant application areas.
• Describe and explain the gain and recombination processes in quantum dots.
• Discuss and interpret device characteristics.
• Summarize the current state of the art in their development and identify areas which need further research.

Intended Audience
The course is intended for graduate students and research staff with science and engineering backgrounds, in academia or industry, who are newcomers to research and development on quantum dot lasers, or who wish to gain an overview of the current status of the field. A basic knowledge of the principles of operation of diode lasers is assumed, and a background knowledge of semiconductor physics would be helpful.

Instructor Biography
Peter Blood is a professor of physics at Cardiff University in the United Kingdom, where he teaches at undergraduate and graduate levels on condensed matter physics and optoelectronics. He supervises research students studying gain processes in semiconductor systems. He has contributed a set of lectures to summer schools on the physics of semiconductor lasers held in Cork, Cardiff and Beijing and has given courses and tutorials at major international conferences. His major research topic at the present time is quantum dot lasers.