Shape Engineered InAs Quantum Dots with Stabilized Electronic Properties

We have studied the influence of overgrowth procedure and a few monolayer-thick AlAs capping layers on the properties of self-assembled InAs quantum dots (QDs) using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy, and photoluminescence (PL). PL spectroscopy was used to study and optimize optical properties of the QDs by shape engineering (QD truncation) through adjustment of the thickness of overlayers and temperature of the subsequent heating. QDs with 6 nm - thick overlayer with heating step at 560°C was found to have the highest PL intensity at room temperature and the lowest FWHM, 29 meV. Ground state energy of the truncated QDs is very stable against variations of growth parameters. TEM measurements show that the capping AlAs layer covers the QDs entirely even though the dots are truncated by the heating step. 1.22 μm edge-emitting laser with triple-layer truncated QD gain medium demonstrated room temperature minimum threshold current density, 56 A/cm², and high saturated modal gain, 16 cm^-1. Extremely high characteristic temperature, T_o= 304 K in the 20-60 °C interval, and maximum lasing temperature of 219 °C were measured for this laser diode.