Minority carrier lifetimes in ideal InGaSb/InAs superlattices

Abstract

Calculations of band-to-band Auger and radiative recombination lifetimes of the recently proposed InxGa1−xSb/InAs superlattices (SL) show them to be promising infrared detectors. Several superlattices with energy gaps in the 5–11 μm range exhibit suppressed p-type Auger recombination rates due to a large light hole–heavy hole splitting. The p-type Auger lifetime at 77 K of an 11 μm InxGa1−xSb/InAs SL is found to be, respectively, three and five orders of magnitude longer than those of bulk and superlattice HgCdTe with the same energy gap. The n-type lifetimes are comparable.