NITWAVE - Nitride Intersubband Devices at Telecommunication Wavelengths (FP6-IST) (2004-06-01 - 2007-05-31) (»add to infobox)

Francois JULIEN, Daniel HOFSTETTER, Bruno DAUDIN, Nicolas GRANDJEAN, Sylwester POROWSKI, Martin ALBRECHT, Gottfried STRASSER, Czeslaw SKIERBISZEWSKI, Daniel LE SI DANG, N. N.

UNIVERSITE PARIS-SUD (FR104 - Essonne) (France), UNIVERSITE DE NEUCHATEL (CH021 - Bern) (Switzerland), COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE (CEA) (FR101 - Paris) (France), ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE (CH022 - Freiburg) (Switzerland), CENTRUM BADAN WYSOKOCIENIENIOWYCH POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK (PL127 - Miasto Warszawa) (Poland), FORSCHUNGSVERBUND BERLIN E.V. (DE300 - Berlin) (Germany), VIENNA UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY (AT130 - Wien) (Austria), TOP-GAN SPOLKA Z O.O. (PL127 - Miasto Warszawa) (Poland), UNIVERSITE JOSEPH FOURIER GRENOBLE 1 (FR714 - Isère) (France), CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE (CNRS) (FR101 - Paris) (France)

This project aims at investigating the building blocks of an emerging semiconductor technology for ultra-high bitrate optoelectronic devices operating at fibre-optics telecommunication wavelengths. The advanced materials that we will investigate are nitride-based heterostructures (GaN/Al(Ga)N, GaN/AlInN). We will engineer the electronic quantum confinement at a nanometre scale to realize active devices relying on intersubband absorption/emission at 1.3-1.55 um. The ultimate deliverables are high-speed photodetectors, optical switches and modulator devices. We will also investigate optically and electrically pumped emitting devices as stepping stones towards advanced unipolar sources (Quantum Fountain and Quantum Cascade lasers/amplifiers). While existing semiconductor technology is dominated by InP-based interband devices, nitride intersubband devices will provide novel functionalities and superior performances like wavelength tunability, speed, high power handling capabilities, and material hardness. The potential of intersubband devices has already been demonstrated at mid- and far-IR wavelengths using GaAs- or InP-based materials. Our project doesnt target the operating principles but will exploit the know-how acquired at longer wavelengths to push this family of devices to unprecedented short wavelengths, thanks to the large conduction band offset offered by nitride heterostructures. Establishing a new state-of-the-art for growth and processing of nitride semiconductors, and developing an advanced know-how on nitride devices are major challenges of the project. The consortium regroups worldclass experts on nitride technologies and intersubband devices, and the chosen strategies have been chosen to minimize the risks. This high-risk, but achievable project will enable Europe to capitalize on SandT advances, developing a lead with respect to USA and Japan competitors and preparing the future transfer of this emerging technology to the optoelectronic industry.

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