Analysis of transistor laser intra-cavity photon-assisted tunneling for direct voltage modulation

High-speed optical interconnect made with semiconductor lasers is expected to play an important role in the upcoming age of big data. The technology of diode laser has been limited by its current modulation scheme in which the carrier recombination lifetime in the active region governs the ultimate speed of operation. The transistor laser, due to its enhanced carrier recombination in the bipolar junction transistor base region, is a promising candidate to replace the diode laser for high-speed optical transmitters. It was recently found that the transistor laser offers a unique voltage modulation scheme through photon-assisted tunneling at the base-collector junction, which could potentially reshape the device operation principles. This work reports the quantitative analysis of the transistor laser photon-assisted tunneling effect and its implications for future optoelectronic applications