RESEARCH TOPICS
Laser
The nanoMIR group develops a number of III-Sb-based lasers: GaInAsSb/AlGaAsSb quantum well laser diodes, GaInSb/InAs interband cascade lasers and InAs/AlSb quantum cascade lasers. Combining these three systems allows covering the whole wavelength range from 1.5 µm to 25 µm. GaAs-based QCLs are investigated for THz emission. Mid-IR DFB and VCSELs deliver the single frequency emission needed for gas analysis.
Quantum Detectors
Quantum detectors based on Ga-free InAs/InAsSb type-2 superlattice (T2SL) and Ga-containing InAs/GaSb T2SL in XBn and XBp barrier structure designs are fabricated and studied for high performance IR imaging.
Gas sensors
The mid-IR wavelength range exhibits transparence windows of the atmosphere and fingerprint absorption lines of a number of interesting – whether positively or negatively – gases. It is the best wavelength range to develop sensing systems based on tunable absorption spectroscopy. The nanoMIR group works on such systems, focusing lately on quartz-enhanced photo-acoustic spectroscopy.
Plasmonics
Highly doped semiconductors based on III-Sbs are used to overcome the limitations of gold and silver as traditional materials in the field. The main topics developed are biosensing integrated in microfluidic circuits, thermal emission with complex metamaterial heterostructures and gap-plasmon structures for mid-IR applications.
III-Sbs/Si
Integrating III-V semiconductors and devices with the Si technology offers the promise to benefit from the best of both technologies. The nanoMIR group investigates the epitaxial integration of III-Sb-based optoelectronic devices on Si substrates, where the devices are directly grown on Si. It has also an action in the heterogeneous integration, where devices are bonded on the Si substrate or PIC.
Exploratory
The objective of the nanoMIR is also to develop new applications of the III-Sb technology. For example, upstream work has been recently carried-out on GaSb-based non-linear heterostructures, on topological insulator phases, on Novel diagnostic tools for nano-characterization of photonic devices, or on whispering gallery mode lasers, to name but a few.