Foreword by Charles H Townes This volume includes highlights of the theories underlying the essential phenomena occurring in novel semiconductor lasers as well as the principles of operation of selected heterostructure lasers. To understand scattering processes in heterostructure lasers and related optoelectronic devices, it is essential to consider the role of dimensional confinement of charge carriers as well as acoustical and optical phonons in quantum structures. Indeed, it is important to consider the confinement of both phonons and carriers in the design and modeling of novel semiconductor lasers such as the tunnel injection laser, quantum well intersubband lasers, and quantum dot lasers. The full exploitation of dimensional confinement leads to the exciting new capability of scattering time engineering in novel semiconductor lasers.As a result of continuing advances in techniques for growing quantum heterostructures, recent developments are likely to be followed in coming years by many more advances in semiconductor lasers and optoelectronics. As our understanding of these devices and the ability to fabricate them grow, so does our need for more sophisticated theories and simulation methods bridging the gap between quantum and classical transport.

Foreword by Charles H Townes This volume includes highlights of the theories underlying the essential phenomena occurring in novel semiconductor lasers as well as the principles of operation of selected heterostructure lasers. To understand scattering processes in heterostructure lasers and related optoelectronic devices, it is essential to consider the role of dimensional confinement of charge carriers as well as acoustical and optical phonons in quantum structures. Indeed, it is important to consider the confinement of both phonons and carriers in the design and modeling of novel semiconductor lasers such as the tunnel injection laser, quantum well intersubband lasers, and quantum dot lasers. The full exploitation of dimensional confinement leads to the exciting new capability of scattering time engineering in novel semiconductor lasers.As a result of continuing advances in techniques for growing quantum heterostructures, recent developments are likely to be followed in coming years by many more advances in semiconductor lasers and optoelectronics. As our understanding of these devices and the ability to fabricate them grow, so does our need for more sophisticated theories and simulation methods bridging the gap between quantum and classical transport.

Since its inception in 1966, the series of numbered volumes known as Semiconductors and Semimetals has distinguished itself through the careful selection of well-known authors, editors, and contributors. The "Willardson and Beer" Series, as it is widely known, has succeeded in publishing numerous landmark volumes and chapters. Not only did many of these volumes make an impact at the time of their publication, but they continue to be well-cited years after their original release. Recently, Professor Eicke R. Weber of the University of California at Berkeley joined as a co-editor of the series.

Laser diodes represent a key element in the emerging field of opto electronics which includes, for example, optical communication, optical sensors or optical disc systems. For all these applications, information is either transmitted, stored or read out. The performance of these systems depends to a great deal on the performance of the laser diode with regard to its modulation and noise characteristics. Since the modulation and noise characteristics of laser diodes are of vital importance for optoelectronic systems, the need for a book arises that concentrates on this subject. This book thus closes the gap between books on the device physics of semiconductor lasers and books on system design. Complementary to the specific topics concerning modulation and noise, the first part of this book reviews the basic laser characteristics, so that even a reader without detailed knowledge of laser diodes may follow the text. In order to understand the book, the reader should have a basic knowledge of electronics, semiconductor physics and optical communica tions. The work is primarily written for the engineer or scientist working in the field of optoelectronics; however, since the book is self-contained and since it contains a lot of numerical examples, it may serve as a textbook for graduate students. In the field of laser diode modulation and noise a vast amount has been published during recent years. Even though the book contains more than 600 references, only a small part of the existing literature is included.

This volume provides valuable summaries on many aspects of advanced semiconductor heterostructures and highlights the great variety of semiconductor heterostructures that has emerged since their original conception. As exemplified by the chapters in this book, recent progress on advanced semiconductor heterostructures spans a truly remarkable range of scientific fields with an associated diversity of applications. Some of these applications will undoubtedly revolutionize critically important facets of modern technology. At the heart of these advances is the ability to design and control the properties of semiconductor devices on the nanoscale. As an example, the intersubband lasers discussed in this book have a broad range of previously unobtainable characteristics and associated applications as a result of the nanoscale dimensional control of the underlying semiconductor heterostructures. As this book illustrates, an astounding variety of heterostructures can be fabricated with current technology; the potentially widespread use of layered quantum dots fabricated with nanoscale precision in biological applications opens up exciting advances in medicine. In addition, many more excellent examples of the remarkable impact being made through the use of semiconductor heterostructures are given. The summaries in this volume provide timely insights into what we know now about selected areas of advanced semiconductor heterostructures and also provide foundations for further developments.

Optoelectronic devices operating in the mid-infrared wavelength range offer applications in a variety of areas from environmental gas monitoring around oil rigs to the detection of narcotics. They could also be used for free-space optical communications, thermal imaging applications and the development of "homeland security" measures. Mid-infrared Semiconductor Optoelectronics is an overview of the current status and technological development in this rapidly emerging area; the basic physics, some of the problems facing the design engineer and a comparison of possible solutions are laid out; the different lasers used as sources for mid-infrared technology are considered; recent work in detectors is reviewed; the last part of the book is concerned with applications. With a world-wide authorship of experts working in many mid-infrared-related fields this book will be an invaluable reference for researchers and graduate students drawn from physics, electronic and electrical engineering and materials science.

Annotation Tiny structures measurable on the nanometer scale (one-billionth of a meter) are known as nanostructures, and nanotechnology is the emerging application of these nanostructures into useful nanoscale devices. As we enter the 21st century, more and more professional are using nanotechnology to create semiconductors for a variety of applications, including communications, information technology, medical, and transportation devices. Written by today's best researchers of semiconductor nanostructures, this cutting-edge resource provides a snapshot of this exciting and fast-changing field. The book covers the latest advances in nanotechnology and discusses the applications of nanostructures to optoelectronics, photonics, and electronics.

In this book, leading experts on quantum dot theory and technology provide comprehensive reviews of all aspects of quantum dot systems. The following topics are covered: (1) energy states in quantum dots, including the effects of strain and many-body effects; (2) self-assembly and self-ordering of quantum dots in semiconductor systems; (3) growth, structures, and optical properties of III-nitride quantum dots; (4) quantum dot lasers.

Biological Nanostructures and Applications of Nanostructures in Biology: Electrical, Mechanical, and Optical Properties contains reviews and discussions of contemporary and relevant topics dealing with the interface between the science and technology of nanostructures and the science of biology. Moreover, this book supplements these past groundbreaking discoveries with discussions of promising new avenues of research that reveal the enormous potential of emerging approaches in nanobiotechnology. The topics include: - Biomedical applications of semiconductor quantum dots, - Integrating and tagging biological structures with nanoscale quantum dots, - Applications of carbon nanotubes in bioengineering, - Nanophysical properties of living cells, - Bridging natural nanotubes with fabricated nanotubes, - Bioinspired approaches to building nanoscale devices and systems, - Hairpin formation in polynucleotides. This state-of-the-art survey of key developments in nanotechnology - as they apply to bioengineering and biology - is essential reading for all academics, biomedical engineers, medical physicists, and industry professionals wishing to take advantage of the latest developments and highly-promising discoveries in nanoscience underlying applications in bioengineering and biology.

Reliability of Semiconductor Lasers and Optoelectronic Devices simplifies complex concepts of optoelectronics reliability with approachable introductory chapters and a focus on real-world applications. This book provides a brief look at the fundamentals of laser diodes, introduces reliability qualification, and then presents real-world case studies discussing the principles of reliability and what occurs when these rules are broken. Then this book comprehensively looks at optoelectronics devices and the defects that cause premature failure in them and how to control those defects. Key materials and devices are reviewed including silicon photonics, vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs), InGaN LEDs and lasers, and AlGaN LEDs, covering the majority of optoelectronic devices that we use in our everyday lives, powering the Internet, telecommunication, solid-state lighting, illuminators, and many other applications. This book features contributions from experts in industry and academia working in these areas and includes numerous practical examples and case studies.This book is suitable for new entrants to the field of optoelectronics working in R&D. - Includes case studies and numerous examples showing best practices and common mistakes affecting optoelectronics reliability written by experts working in the industry - Features the first wide-ranging and comprehensive overview of fiber optics reliability engineering, covering all elements of the practice from building a reliability laboratory, qualifying new products, to improving reliability on mature products - Provides a look at the reliability issues and failure mechanisms for silicon photonics, VCSELs, InGaN LEDs and lasers, AIGaN LEDs, and more