Position
Project Member: 3.2 "Solids and Nanostructures: Electrons, Spins, and Phonons
Research
High-power semiconductor lasers are the most efficient man-made light sources, and can convert more than 80% electric energy into light. Currently emission powers of one kW continuous-wave powers are extracted from a single monolithic semiconductor chip. We are interested in the intrinsic limitations of such optoelectronic devices in terms of output power, beam quality (brightness) and lifetime (reliability). For this purpose, we analyze devices, but also their components such as surfaces and interfaces or gain materials such as quantum wells, superlattices and quantum dots.
For our experiments, we use optical tools, in particular transient spectroscopy that represents a generic competence of MBI. Such work is naturally carried out as collaborative work with device vendors, who provide us with high-quality industry-grade devices and structures. The use of such devices ensures high reproducibility and the chance to get general results, which not depend on the particular device structure that was studied. In BMBF-projects such as BlauLas, we work together with Osram OS (Regensburg), Dilas GmbH (Maiz) and Laserline GmbH (Mülheim) or in the frame of bilateral research contracts with Lumentum (Santa Clara) and 3S-Photonics (Nozay).
The material basis of the investigated devices is now focused to GaN-based wide-bandgap devices emitting in the ultraviolet to blue spectral regions. The figure shows damage patterns as observed in 450-nm emitting high power diode lasers after it experienced the so-called catastrophic optical damage in short-pulse operation.
Subfigure (a) shows the damage patterns at the font facet, where the light leaves the device (red circle), while (b) shows the same region from the side. A channel is visible which burned into the device and ends ~80 µm underneath the front facet; see (c). Subfigure (d) shows the end of this channel in higher resolution. The quantum wells, i.e. the gain medium are well resolved.
Curriculum vitae
2018 East China Normal University as ECNU High-End Expert, China
1999 Visitor at the RIKEN-Institute Sendai, Japan
1995 - present: Senior researcher at MBI
1993-1995: Visiting professor at Georgia Tech Atlanta, USA
1986-1989: R&D group leader in a subcontract "Optical characterization of II-VI materials for IR quantum detector fabrication".
1984-1986: R&D work in a subcontract to "Carl Zeiss Jena" company to develop diode lasers for an IR diode laser spectrometer.
1981-1984: PhD student, Dr. rer. nat. in Physics, summa cum laude, Humboldt University, Berlin 1984 Dissertation: Study of the optical properties of n-Pb1-xSnxTe/p-Pb1-xSnxTe/p-PbTe-heterostructures by means of photoluminescence and injection-luminescence.
1977-1982: Physics studies, Diploma in Physics summa cum laude, Humboldt University, Berlin 1982 Thesis: Luminescence properties of lead salts for optical and electrical excitation.
MBI Publikationen
- Processing-induced strains at solder interfaces in extended semiconductor structures Journal of Applied Physics 101 (2007) 114512/1-5
- All-optical analysis of carrier and spin relaxation in InGaAs/GaAs saturable absorber structures Applied Physics Letters 90 (2007) 102105/1-3
- Thermal properties of high power laser bars investigated by spatially resolved thermoreflectance spectroscopy Proceedings of 12th International Workshop on Thermal Investigations of ICs, THERMINIC TIMA Editions (2006) 7-11
- Complementary thermo-reflectance and micro-Raman analysis of facet temperatures of diode lasers Applied Physics Letters 89 (2006) 071104/1-3
- Analysis of mechanical strain and temperature profiling in high-brightness, parabolic bow-tie laser arrays SPIE Proceedings 6368 (2006) 63680B/1-7
- New infrared sources for breath analysis SPIE Proceedings 6093 (2006) 60930B/1-9
- Spatially-resolved and temperature dependent thermal tuning rates of high-power diode laser arrays Applied Physics Letters 88 (2006) 133510/1-3
- Reliability screening of diode lasers by multispectral infrared imaging Journal of Applied Physics 99 (2006) 053101/1-6
- Micro-thermography enables rapid inspection of defects in diode lasers The International Society for Optical Engineering - SPIE Newsroom (2006) 1-2
- Microthermographic investigations of aging processes in diode lasers SPIE Proceedings 6368 (2006) 63680B/1-7
Andere Publikationen
Books
Juan Jiménez and Jens W. Tomm, "Spectroscopic Analysis of Optoelectronic Semiconductors", Springer Series in Optical Sciences Vol. 202 (Springer, 2016).
Jens W. Tomm and Juan Jiménez, "Quantum-Well Laser Array Packaging", Nanoscience and Technology Series (McGraw-Hill, 2007).