The design and simulation of p-type Si/SiGe Terahertz quantum cascade lasers

To prolong upper state lifetime in p-type Si/Si1-xGex Terahertz quantum cascade lasers, a new active region is designed in this work. Using 6 x 6 k . p theory, the eigenvalues and wavefunctions of heavy holes and light holes are firstly calculated in a single SiGe quantum well. The design in the active region of this THz Si/Si1-xGex quantum cascade lasers is then investigated. This work presents a SiGe quantum cascade laser with about 6.84 THz emission in the diagonal transition. The calculations show that about 32 ps of the upper state lifetime and about 9 cm(-1) of optical gain are obtained, which are enhanced when compared to previous designs. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.