Photoluminescence decay of 1.54 μm Er ³⁺ emission in Si and III-V semiconductors

Abstract

The luminescence lifetime of the 1.54 μm Er3+ emission has been studied in a variety of Si and III-V semiconductor host materials. The ≈1 millisecond lifetimes observed in all hosts indicate that the Er emission is largely radiative, and suggests that Er may be the rare earth dopant best suited for device applications. Additional competing nonradiative effects are seen to appear for certain growth conditions.