Comparative Study on Intersubband Absorption in AlGaN/GaN and AlInN/GaN Heterostructures Grown on Low-Defect Substrates

Intersubband (ISB) devices utilizing III-nitrides have attracted attention for near- and far-infrared optoelectronic applications. However, the lattice mismatch between GaN and commonly used substrates results in a high defect density that hinders the vertical transport required for these devices. Furthermore, most devices in the literature utilize AlGaN/GaN heterostructures for which there is no lattice-matched alloy composition. Due to this lattice mismatch, AlGaN is not ideal for the development of complex devices such as quantum cascade lasers that often require active-region thicknesses on the order of microns for efficient operation. Fortunately, exact lattice matching occurs in AlInN/GaN heterostructures at roughly 18{\%} In composition. To investigate the challenges of lattice-matched nitrides, we presents a comparative study of ISB absorption in high-quality AlGaN/GaN and near lattice-matched AlInN/GaN heterostructures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on low-defect free-standing GaN substrates. Experimental measurements of transition energy, integrated absorbance and linewidth were compared to theoretical predictions that included many-body effects, interface roughness and calculations of the transition lifetime.