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Influence of conduction-band non-parabolicity on terahertz intersubband Raman gain in GaAs/InGaAs step asymmetric quantum wells

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Abstract

The conduction electron states in step-like strained GaAs/InGaAs quantum wells are theoretically investigated under the effective mass approximation, taking into account the effects of band non-parabolicity. With such information, the intersubband three-level Raman gain is calculated looking to reveal a possible application of the studied systems as sources for THz Raman lasing. A group of high-gain intersubband transitions is identified, and the results are strongly dependent on a suitable geometric design in terms of potential well widths which can lead to values of the Raman gain between 200 and \(400\,\hbox {cm}^{-1}\), the latter values being close to those previously reported in GaAs-based double asymmetric quantum wells. Secondary radiation frequencies are identified within the range of few tens of THz. It is found that the influence of band non-parabolicity causes a significant reduction of the Raman gain, in comparison with the values obtained neglecting such a phenomenon. Therefore, conduction-band non-parabolicity becomes a crucial element for the accurate quantitative description of the intersubband-related optical response in low-dimensional heterostructures involving small gap materials.

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Acknowledgements

AT acknowledges the financial support from Postdoctoral Fellowship FONDECYT 3180276. DL acknowledges partial financial support from Centers of excellence with BASAL/CONICYT financing, Grant FB0807, CEDENNA and FONDECYT 1180905. CAD acknowledges the financial support from El Patrimonio Autónomo Fondo Nacional de Financiamiento para la Ciencia, la Tecnología y la Innovación Francisco José de Caldas (project 80740-173-2019).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Alta Investigación, CEDENNA, Universidad de Tarapacá, Casilla 7D, Arica, Chile

    A. Tiutiunnyk & D. Laroze

  2. Facultad de Ingenierías, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, AP 150 Cordemex, 97310, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico

    I. Pérez-Quintana

  3. Grupo de Materia Condensada-UdeA, Instituto de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia

    C. A. Duque

  4. Centro de Investigación en Ciencias-IICBA, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, 62209, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

    M. E. Mora-Ramos

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  1. A. Tiutiunnyk
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Tiutiunnyk, A., Pérez-Quintana, I., Laroze, D. et al. Influence of conduction-band non-parabolicity on terahertz intersubband Raman gain in GaAs/InGaAs step asymmetric quantum wells. Appl. Phys. A 126, 23 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-019-3214-4

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