Periodic monolayer semiconductor structures grown by molecular beam epitaxy

In a double heterostructure, a semiconductor body comprising:

• a semiconductor core region, adapted for the propagation of radiation therein,
• a pair of cladding regions which bound said active region so that said radiation is guided therein, characterized in that:
• said core region comprises a periodic structure including in each period n contiguous monolayers of epitaxial Ge.sub.2 having a major surface, and a plurality of islands of epitaxial Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x As (0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1) formed on said major surface in a quantity equivalent to m contiguous monolayers of Al.sub.x Ga.sub.1-x As on said surface.

The body of claim 22 wherein said active region is adapted to emit radiation at a wavelength of about 1.0-1.1 .mu.m.

The body of claim 22 wherein said cladding regions are fabricated from an Al.sub.y Ga.sub.1-y As random alloy, 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.1,y>x.

In a double heterostructure, a semiconductor body comprising:

• a semiconductor core region adapted for the propagation of radiation therein,
• a pair of cladding regions which bound said core region so that said radiation is guided therein, characterized in that:
• said cladding regions each comprise a superlattice of (GaAs).sub.n (AlAs).sub.m where n and m are the number of contiguous monolayers of GaAs and AlAs, respectively, in each period of said superlattice.