Optoelectronic devices based on intraband transitions in combinations of type I and type II tunnel junctions

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a first tunnel barrier region disposed between said first region and said quantum well region, said first region, said first tunnel barrier and said quantum well region forming a type I tunnel junction;
• and
• a second tunnel barrier region disposed between said second region and said quantum well region, said quantum well region, said second tunnel barrier and said second region forming a type II tunnel junction.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a tunnel barrier disposed said first region and said active region, said first region, said tunnel barrier and said active region forming a type I tunnel junction and said active region and said second region forming a type II heterojunction.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a tunnel barrier disposed between said first region and said active region, said first region, said tunnel barrier and said active region forming a type II tunnel junction.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a tunnel barrier disposed between said second region and said active region, said first region and said active region forming a type II heterojunction and said active region, said tunnel barrier and said second region forming a type I tunnel junction.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a tunnel barrier disposed between said second region and said active region, said active region, said tunnel barrier and said second region forming a type II tunnel junction.

An optoelectronic device comprising:

• a first region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence allowed energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a second region of semiconductor material having conduction and valence energy bands defined by corresponding band edges spaced apart by an energy bandgap;
• a quantum well active region of semiconductor material sandwiched between said first and second regions, said quantum well region having at least two energy states;
• and
• a first tunnel barrier region disposed between said firs region and said quantum well region, said first region, said first tunnel barrier and said quantum well region forming a type II tunnel junction;
• and
• a second tunnel barrier region disposed between said second region and said quantum well region, said quantum well region, said second tunnel barrier and said second region forming a type I tunnel junction.