Materials science researchers first developed electronically injected lasers

Materials science researchers, led by electrical engineer Shui-Qing “Fisher” Yu, have demonstrated the first electrically injected laser made of germanium tin.

Used as a semiconductor material for circuits on electronic devices, the diode laser could improve microprocessing speed and efficiency at much lower cost.

In tests, the laser operated in pulsating conditions up to 100 kelvin, as 279 degrees below zero Fahrenheit.

“Our results are a big improvement for IV-based laser groups,” Yu said. “They could serve as the promising route for laser integration on silicon and an important step towards improving circuitry for electronics devices.”

The research is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, and the findings are published in Optics, the journal of The Optical Society. Yiyin Zhou, a U of A doctoral student in the microelectronics-photonics program, wrote the article. Zhou and Yu worked with colleagues at various institutions, including Arizona State University, Boston University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, and Wilkes University in Pennsylvania. The researchers also collaborated with Arktonics, a manufacturer of Arkicon semiconductor equipment.

The alloy germanium tin is a promising semiconducting material that can be easily integrated into electronic circles, such as those found in computer chips and sensors. The material could lead to the development of low-cost, lightweight, compact and low-energy-consuming electronic components that use light for information transmission and sensing.

Yu has worked with germanium tin for many years. Researchers in his laboratory have shown the effectiveness of the material as a strong semiconductor alloy. After reporting the fabrication of a first-generation, “optically pumped” laser, which means that the material was injected with light, Yu and researchers in his laboratory continue to refine the material.