Enhancement of potential barrier height by superlattice barriers in the InGaAsP/InP materials system

Abstract

The authors have calculated the electron wave reflectivities for a variety of superlattice barriers in the InAlAs/InGaAsP/InP materials system. For an optimised superlattice barrier, we have calculated an effective barrier height of more than five times the classical barrier height available in this system. The significant improvement in the potential barrier height implies that the overflow leakage of hot electrons from the active layer to the cladding layer generated by the Auger effect can be suppressed, thereby improving the threshold current and the temperature characteristics of lasers in this system.