New Short Course SC319 Quantum Dot Laser Diodes

Monday, March 23, 2009
1:30 p.m.–4:30 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 are 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 physics or engineering backgrounds, in academia or industry, who are relative newcomers to research and development on quantum dot lasers or who wish to gain an introduction the field. Knowledge of the principles of operation of diode lasers is assumed, and a background knowledge of semiconductor physics is highly desirable.

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 present is quantum dot lasers. He is Fellow of IEEE/LEOS.