Physics of Strained Quantum Well Lasers

Physics of Strained Quantum Well Lasers provides an extremely detailed, accessible, and clear account of the fundamentals of the subject. This self-contained presentation progresses from strained quantum well bandstructure to device physics. It is specifically tailored to the background and needs of incoming graduate students in electrical engineering and physics, as well as industrial research and development engineers. Only a standard undergraduate knowledge of quantum mechanics, solid state physics, and electromagnetism is required. No prior familiarity with lasers is needed. The first chapter of Physics of Strained Quantum Well Lasers is a mini-course on advanced quantum mechanics, and explains the most important techniques. Perturbation methods, both time-independent and time-dependent, are developed in detail, making the rest of the material much easier to understand. In later chapters, particular attention is paid to some of the most challenging and important topics, such as the k·p theory, the deformation potential theory, the multiband envelope function approximation, field quantization, and the emission and absorption of light in quantum wells. These core topics apply widely, both to quantum well lasers and to other electronic and optoelectronic devices. Physics of Strained Quantum Well Lasers will allow the reader to progress systematically through the text and emerge with enough knowledge to successfully understand and model strained quantum well lasers.