Auger Capture Induced Carrier Heating in Quantum Dot Lasers and Amplifiers

Abstract

Carrier heating in quantum dot (QD) devices, which accompanies Auger capture of carriers from a carrier reservoir to discrete QD levels, is considered for the first time. Equations for carrier dynamics of QD structures are formulated and analyzed by taking into account the carrier heating. A numerical example shows that heating of carriers in a carrier reservoir of a QD structure can be much higher than that of bulk and quantum well devices. Auger capture carrier heating in QD devices can lead to a longer (more than a factor of 2 for the 90%-recovery time) relaxation time from a carrier reservoir to QDs.