Extremely sharp electroluminescence from Er-doped silicon

摘要

Electroluminescence from Er-doped silicon diode structures, grown with sublimation molecular beam epitaxy, has been investigated with high spectral resolution down to 0.05 cm~(-1). In structures optimized for preferential formation of the Er-1 center we find emission lines with full width down to 0.2 cm~(-1) (25 μeV) at 30 K-the narrowest lines ever observed in Si:Er electroluminescence spectra. Due to ultra-narrow emission lines and a high excitation cross-section of 4 × 10~(-15) cm~2, such diode structures are promising for realization of an electrically pumped silicon-based laser.