abcdefghijklm

Overview of Optoelectronic Devices and Materials

Research Group (ODM)

Alf Adams

Optoelectronic Devices and Materials Research Group

Tel +44 (0)1483 879310Fax +44 (0)1483 876781

abcdefghijklm

University of Surrey

School of Physics and Chemistry

Guildford, SurreyGU2 7XH, UK

abcdefghijklm

Overview of Optoelectronic Devices and Materials

Research Group (ODM)

Eoin O’Reilly

Optoelectronic Devices and Materials Research Group

Tel +44 (0)1483 876785Fax +44 (0)1483 876781

abcdefghijklm

University of Surrey

School of Physics and Chemistry

Guildford, SurreyGU2 7XH, UK

abcdefghijklm

Overview of Optoelectronic Devices and Materials

Research Group (ODM)

Jeremy Allam

Optoelectronic Devices and Materials Research Group

Tel +44 (0)1483 876799Fax +44 (0)1483 876781

abcdefghijklm

University of Surrey

School of Physics and Chemistry

Guildford, SurreyGU2 7XH, UK

abcdefghijklm

Overview of Optoelectronic Devices and Materials

Research Group (ODM)

Optoelectronic Devices and Materials Research Group

Tel +44 (0)1483 876800Fax +44 (0)1483 876781

abcdefghijklm

University of Surrey

School of Physics and Chemistry

Guildford, SurreyGU2 7XH, UK

abcdefghijklm

ODM quotes...

• Exploring the fundamental physics of laser-matter interactions, developing new materials for photonics and advanced optics.

• We do experiment and theory with rigour and vigour A.R. Adams, FRS

• Fun and innovative science, plus the bonus of a massive (well-paid) jobs boom in photonics/laser science

Take the challenge, ODM

• Although less than one PhD in 12 specializes in optics/lasers, this subfield accounted for almost one-fourth of the potentially permanent positions outside of academia

Recently released employment report, American Institute of Physics

abcdefghijklm

III-N and II-VI materials

Visible wave-

lengths: displays

• III-N materials (AlN, GaN, InN) for blue light emitters

• “dilute nitrides” (GaNAs, GaInNAs) are promising for the infrared (large bowing gives small bandgap)

abcdefghijklm

Bandstructure of zincblende semiconductors

• not only the bandgap, but also energies of ‘critical points’ in the bandstructure (E, EL, EX) are important for optoelectronic device performance

abcdefghijklm

Conventional III-V semiconductors

1.3 µm, 1.55µm telecoms bands

• GaInAs lattice-matched to InP dominates applications in optical telecoms

abcdefghijklm

Semiconductor Materials

B O

In

C

Si

Ge

Sn

N

Al P

Ga As

Sb

Se

S

Zn

TeCd

III IV V VIII

2

3

4

5

per

iod

groupCommon tetrahedral

(zincblende) semconductors:

group IVIII-VII-VI

• Silicon is ubiquitous in electronics, but interacts relatively weakly with light

• direct-gap III-V’s are used for light emission and detection in the visible and near-infrared

abcdefghijklm

The Physics Department will be hosting a

Postgraduate Recruitment Fair

on Wednesday 13th Februaryat 16:00 in 7AC05 and corridors

including at 17:15 a short talk on ‘Research Opportunities and Funding’ by Prof. Tostevin

Come and find out about opportunities for PhD or Masters degrees in the Department of Physics and

related departments in the University of Surrey.

Other local Universities have also been invited.

To all students graduating in 2002

abcdefghijklm

ODM: world leaders in …

• use of hydrostatic pressure to investigate physical

• processes in semiconductors and optoelectronic devices

• elucidation of loss mechanisms in semiconductor lasers

• design and characterisation of strained-layer quantum well lasers

• theory of strained quantum dots

• understanding physical properties of dilute nitrides

abcdefghijklm

ODM Past

• the ODM group founded 1986 by Alf Adams

• numerous achievements in understanding and improving semiconductor optoelectronic devices,

e.g.– determined loss mechanisms in lasers for

telecommunications and origin of “T0 problem”– invention of strained-layer quantum well lasers: now

ubiquitous in communications and data storage (CDs)

• work on semiconductor lasers recognised by: – election of Prof. Adams to Royal Society – award of Duddel Medal of Institute of Physics

abcdefghijklm

ODM Present

• presently 30 ODM group members: – 10 academic staff, – 5 Postdocs, – 2 Support– 13 PhD students

• >£2M in current research grants

• Surrey Physics rated “4A” in Research Assessment Exercise

• A varied and exciting research portfolio

abcdefghijklm

ODM Members• Academic Staff:

– Prof. Alf Adams (Group Leader)– Prof. Jeremy Allam– Dr. Alexey Andreev– Prof. Alan Crocker– Dr. Dave Faux – Dr. Jeff Hosea– Dr. Steve Hughes– Dr. Dave Lancefield– Dr. Ben Murdin– Prof. Eoin O’Reilly (Deputy G/L)

• Research Staff– Dr. S. Jin– Dr. X. Li– Dr. S. Tomic– Mrs. G. E. Smith

• Support Staff– Dr. C. N. Ahmad

• Emeritus Professor– Prof. Keith Puttick

• Visiting Staff– Dr. P. Charsley– Prof. P. E. J. Flewitt– Prof. P. D. Greene– Prof. W. F. Sherman

• Research Students– S. Choulis– D. Clarke– S. Constant– A. Crawford– S. W. Ellaway– R. Fehse– K. Hild– G. C. Knowles– A. Lindsay– S. Ngarize (Joint Biology)– A. C. Tanczos (Joint Chem.)

abcdefghijklm

• £10M funding• 100 occupants• purpose-designed building completed end of 2001• emphasis on industry-relevant, cross-disciplinary

research• integration of physics and electronic engineering

activities for high-bandwidth communicationsphysics electronic engineering

… into new Advanced Technology Institute:

Optoelectronic Devices and MaterialsSolid-State Electronics

BiosensorsFood Science

Integration of related research activities...

ODM Future

abcdefghijklm

Advanced Technology Institute

abcdefghijklm

ATI: a £10m UniS/HEFCE 50:50 Joint Venture

For UniS

* Building on existing strengths while allowing for new initiatives

* A high-technology beacon at the campus entrance

* A research hotel for chosen industry

For HEFCE

* Joint Infrastructure Fund (JIF) support for state of the art projects

* Support of strategic research for future industry

* A strengthening of science that underpins biotechnology

RATIONALE:

* Co-locate six research groups from three Schools to stimulate cross-disciplinary research:

Microwave subsystems, lasers and optoelectronics, large area electronics, ion beam applications, high pressure, biosensors

* Rationalise the use of cleanroom facilities at UniS* Multi-purpose facility capable of rapid redirection of use. A new

concept in university research management

abcdefghijklm

ODM Research Style ...• from fundamental science to devices

• tight coupling of experiment and theory

• broad coverage of semiconductor materials / wavelengths

• novel methods and expertise

• strong links with industry

abcdefghijklm

ODM … fundamental to applied

Fundamental

Applied

Fundamental interactions

Device character-

isation

Systems concepts

Systems character-

isation

Material properties

Device concepts

Device modelling

and optimisation

System modelling

and optimisation

Materialcharacter-

isation

ODM - Physics Department

collaboration with Electronic Engineering Dept and Industry

abcdefghijklm

new devicedesign

device character-

isation

ODM … theory AND experiment

wafer growth

test structure fabrication

advanced device fabrication

device modelling

material charact-erisation

basictheory

physical device

conceptbasic

experi-ments

material properties

device proof-of-principle

device fab.

abcdefghijklm

ODM … theory AND experimentexperimental

method

novel optical characterisation

hydrostatic pressure

light emission from lasers / LEDs

electrical characterisation

femtosecond measurements

theoretical method

strain distribution and wavefunctions

electronic structure calculations

gain calculation

Monte Carlo simulation

first-principle calculations

phenomena studied

growth & structure e.g. quantum dots

dependence on composition

optical gain / loss in semiconductor

electron transport

ultrafast phenomena

abcdefghijklm

ODM ... on your wavelength!

UV visible NIR MIR FIR MMW RFSpectral range:

Applic-ations:

optical storage

displays

opticalcomms

sensing

imaging radar

wireless

Experi-mental methods:

THz

FELUltrafast

electronics

tunable lasers / OPA

Novel materials/structures:

dilute nitrides:GaInNAs <-> GaInNSb

inter-subband devices:Quantum Cascade LD

GaN InGaAs Electronics:Si, SiGe

GaAs

Pb salts

InGaAsP HgCdTe

Materials for sources:

abcdefghijklm

ODM ... facilities and expertise

Experimental facilities

New ATI facilities

Theoretical methods

• application of hydrostatic pressure to optoelectronic devices and materials

• novel modulated reflectance methods • users of FELIX Free Electron Laser• wide range of standard methods:

optical, electronic, cryogenic

• bandstructures and transition rates of semiconductor nanostructures• mechanical-electronic-optical properties of strained semiconductors• novel ultrafast photon-electron interactions and transport

•new ultrafast laser facility•extensive clean room for fabrication

abcdefghijklm

ODM ... talks to industry

Recent industrial partners

• awareness of IPR issues• awareness of commercial time-scales• collaboration with multiple companies, in

non-overlapping / non-competing projects

ODM is “industry-friendly”:

Examples of commercial output:

• strained-layer lasers (Uniphase, BT, Nortel)

• polarisation-free optical amplifiers (Nortel)• visible VCSELs (in discussions)

• British Telecom• Nortel• Uniphase• Agilent • DERA• Epitaxial Products International• Infineon

abcdefghijklm

ODM ... collaboration model

Industrial collaborator

wafer growth

teststructure fabrication

advanced device fabrication

device character-isation

new device design

device modelling

material character-isation basic

theory

physical device concept

UniS-ODM

Close collaboration of UniS-ODM with industry

tightly-coupled experiments

and modelling on real-world

devices