Superluminescent diode
A superluminescent diode ( SLED or SLD ) is a component of optoelectronics and its structure corresponds to a laser diode but without a resonator . Their radiation is based on so-called increased spontaneous emission and combines the brightness of laser diodes and the low coherence of light-emitting diodes , which is synonymous with a larger optical bandwidth of the emitted radiation.
The superluminescent diode was developed in 1986 by Gerard A. Alphonse at the Radio Corporation of America (RCA Labs). It serves as a light source in fiber optic gyroscopes and in the field of optical coherence tomography .
construction
Like laser diodes, SLEDs are based on a pn junction and are operated in the direction of passage. The emitted mean wavelength is based on the band gap and can be influenced by selecting different semiconductor materials such as indium arsenide (InAs), indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) or indium phosphide (InP). In contrast to laser diodes, SLEDs do not have a resonator, which represents an optical feedback by means of a mirror. With SLEDs, optical resonance is avoided due to the structural design and the additional anti-reflective coating. Superluminescent diodes represent optical amplifiers without an input signal, which optically amplify and emit light generated by spontaneous emission by stimulated emission inside the SLED, which functions as a waveguide . This function gives the component its name.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Vladimir Shidlovski: Superluminescent Diodes. Short overview of device operation principles and performance parameters. SuperlumDiodes Ltd. (Company publication), 2004, accessed November 30, 2013 .
- ^ Gerard A. Alphonse, 2005 IEEE-USA President. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on December 13, 2013 ; Retrieved December 3, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
