InAs/GaAs Quantum-Dot Superluminescent Light-Emitting Diode Monolithically Grown on a Si Substrate

Building optoelectronic devices on a Si platform has been the engine behind the development of Si photonics. In particular, the integration of optical interconnects onto Si substrates allows the fabrication of complex optoelectronic circuits, potentially enabling chip-to-chip and system-to-system optical communications at greatly reduced cost and size relative to hybrid solutions. Although significant effort has been devoted to Si light generation and modulation technologies, efficient and electrically pumped Si light emitters have yet to be demonstrated. In contrast, III-V semiconductor devices offer high efficiency as optical sources. Monolithic integration of III-V on the Si platform would thus be an effective approach for realizing Si-based light sources. Here, we describe the first superluminescent light-emitting diode (SLD) monolithically grown on Si substrates. The fabricated two-section InAs/GaAs quantum-dot (QD) SLD produces a close-to-Gaussian emission spectrum of 114 nm centered at similar to 1255 nm wavelength, with a maximum output power of 2.6 mW at room temperature. This work complements our previous demonstration of an InAs/GaAs QD laser directly grown on a Si platform and paves the way for future monolithic integration of III-V light sources required for Si photonics.