Laterally - doped heterostructures for III - N lasing devices

To achieve a high-density electron-hole plasma in group-III nitrides for efficient light emission, we propose a planar two-dimensional (2D) p − i − n structure that can be created in selectively-doped superlattices and quantum wells. The 2D p − i − n structure is formed in the quantum well layers due to efficient activation of donors and acceptors in the laterally doped barriers. We show that strongly non-equilibrium 2D electron-hole plasma with density above 1012 cm−2 can be realized in the i−region of the laterally biased p−i−n structure, enabling the formation of interband population inversion and stimulated emission from such a LAteral Current pumped Emitter (LACE). We suggest that implementation of the lateral p− i−n structures provides an efficient way of utilizing potential-profile-enhanced doping of superlattices and quantum wells for electric pumping of nitride-based lasers.