Barrier height study of two-well resonant-phonon terahertz quantum cascade lasers. I. The third-order tunneling current theory.

The third-order tunneling current model, reflecting the effect of carrier leakage from bound to continuum states, is modeled based on the second-order tunneling current and semi-classical leakage current theories and is incorporated in a simulation based on the rate equation. GaAs/AlGaAs-based two-well resonant-phonon terahertz quantum cascade lasers, published in the past, are theoretically examined by this method. Based on the latest recorded device, the influence of barrier height is investigated by changing the Al-composition from 12.5% to 45% with a fixed-layer thickness. As a result, there are carrier dynamics that diminish the carrier density of lasing subbands in both high and low barrier conditions. On the one hand, carrier leakage into continuum states increases drastically below 25% Al-composition. On the other hand, in high barrier conditions, substantial carriers accumulate in the ground state due to a strong confinement effect in addition to oscillator strength lowering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]