Growth of quantum three-dimensional structure of InGaAs emitting at ~1 µm applicable for a broadband near-infrared light source

We obtained a high-intensity and broadband emission centered at ~1 µm from InGaAs quantum three-dimensional (3D) structures grown on a GaAs substrate using molecular beam epitaxy. An InGaAs thin layer grown on GaAs with a thickness close to the critical layer thickness is normally affected by strain as a result of the lattice mismatch and introduced misfit dislocations. However, under certain growth conditions for the In concentration and growth temperature, the growth mode of the InGaAs layer can be transformed from two-dimensional to 3D growth. We found the optimal conditions to obtain a broadband emission from 3D structures with a high intensity and controlled center wavelength at ~1 µm. This method offers an alternative approach for fabricating a broadband near-infrared light source for telecommunication and medical imaging systems such as for optical coherence tomography.