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US 5,187,715 AGranted
Quantum well optical device
AssigneeThomson-CSF
InventorsClaude Weisbuch, Philippe Bois, Borge Vinter
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A quantum well optical device including a layer of semiconducting material of large forbidden band width and, situated in this layer, at least one quantum well, such as a quantum line or quantum hole, of a material having a narrower forbidden band than that of the layer. This quantum well has two permitted electron levels. Means exist of assuring the electron population of the first permitted energy level.
Claims24
Quantum well optical device structure, comprising:
- a semiconducting first material having a first band gap and a conduction band bottom at a first potential energy, so that said first material is transparent to a light wave whose energy is less than said first band gap;
- at least one quantum well comprising a second material and limited in at least two dimensions which define at least one of a quantum wire and a quantum box, said at least one quantum well disposed in said first material said at least one quantum well has a potential energy at the bottom of the conduction band which is less than that of the first semiconducting material and also possesses at least one ground state allowed first energy level and a second allowed level at an energy above the ground state and below the bottom of the conduction band of said first semiconducting material;
- and
- means for providing an electron population to the first allowed energy level.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.