RONETTE S.

GARCIA
BSEE-IV

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Introduction to Optoelectronics
Outline
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What is optoelectronics?
Major optoelectronic devices
Processes and Function
What Did the Word Opto-Electronics
Mean?
Optoelectronics is the study and application of
electronic devices that interact with light
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Electronics
(electrons)
Optics
(light or photons)
Optoelectronics
Optoelectronics is the study and application
of electronic devices that source, detect and
control light, usually considered a sub-field
of photonics. In this context, light often includes
invisible forms of radiation such as gamma rays, X-
rays, ultraviolet and infrared, in addition to visible
light. Optoelectronic devices are electrical-to-optical
or optical-to-electrical transducers, or instruments that
use such devices in their operation. Electro-optics is
often erroneously used as a synonym, but is in fact a
wider branch of physics that deals with all interactions
between light and electric fields, whether or not they
form part of an electronic device.
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Examples of Optoelectronic Devices
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Major Optoelectronic Devices
Direct Conversion Between Electrons and Photons
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Light-emitting diodes (LEDs)
(display, lighting,)
Laser diodes (LDs)
(data storage, telecommunication, )
Photodiodes (PDs)
(telecommunication, )
Solar Cells
(energy conversion)
Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs)
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Light-emitting diode (LED) is a
semiconductor diode that emits
incoherent narrow-spectrum light
when electrically biased in the
forward direction of the p-n junction.
Photon Emission in Semiconductor
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E
F

E
C

E
V

Conduction
band
Valence
band
Photon
E
g

When an electron meets a
hole, it falls into a lower
energy level, and releases
energy in the form of a
photon.
The wavelength of the light
depends on the band gap
of the semiconductor
material
Semiconductor materials: Si, Ge, GaAs, InGaAs, AlGaAs, InP, SiGe, etc
Operation Principle of LED
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Semiconductor Materials vs.
LED Color
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General Brightness
GaP GaN GaAs GaAIAs --
Green, Red Blue Red, Infrared Red, Infrared --
Super Brightness
GaAIAs GaAsP GaN InGaN GaP
Red Red, Yellow Blue Green Green
Ultra Brightness
GaAIAs InGaAIP GaN InGaN --
Red Red, Yellow, Orange Blue Green --
Application of LEDs
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Display
Solid-state lighting
Communication
Remote control, etc
LED lights on an Audi S6
Lasers
Spontaneous emission and stimulated emission
Application of Lasers
Classification of lasers according to the way of
pumping
Laser diodes
What is semiconductor?
p/n junction diode
Light emitting diode and laser diode
Spontaneous and stimulated
emission
Spontaneous emissionLight emission by
relaxation from the excited state to the ground
state
stimulated emissionLight emission due to
optical transition forced by optical stimulation;
This phenomenon is the laser=light amplification
by stimulated emission of radiation
Optical transition
Transition occurs
from the ground state
1 to the excited
state 2 with the
probability of P12 by
the perturbation of
the electric field of
light: This is an
optical absorption.
The excited state 2
relaxes to the ground
state 1
spontaneously with a
light emission to
achieve thermal
equilibrium
1
2
p
12 Optical
absorption
Energy
1
2
Spontaneous
emission
Stimulated emission
Transition from the
excited state 2 to the
ground state 1 occurs
by the stimulation of
the electric field of
incident light with the
transition probability of
P21(=P12), leading to
emission of a photon.
This process is called
stimulated emission.
The number of photons
is doubled since first
photon is not absorbed.
1
2
p
21
Stimulated
emission
1
2
p
12 Stimulated emission
Energy
E Emission is masked by
absorption under normal
condition
Under normal condition
stimulated emission
cannot be observed since
absorption occurs at the
same probability as
emission (P12=P21), and
the population N1 at 1
dominates N2 at 2 due
to Maxwell-Boltzmann
distribution. Therefore,
N2P21<N1P12
1
2
p
21
Stimulate
d
emission
1
2
p
12 Optical
absorption
N2
N2
N1
N1
population inversion for lasing
In order to obtain net emission
(N2P21>N1P12), N2, the population of the
state 2 should exceed N1, the population
of the state 1.
This is called population inversion, or
negative temperature, since the distribution
feature behaves as if the temperature were
negative.
1
2
Distribution function
E
n
e
r
g
y

1
E
exp(E/kT)
0
Characteristics of laser
Oscillator and amplifier of light wave
Wave-packets share the same phase leading to
Coherence: two different lasers can make interference
fringes
Directivity: laser beam can go straight for a long distance
Monochromaticity: laser wavelength is pure with narrow
width
High energy density: laser can heat a substance by focusing
Ultra short pulse: laser pulse duration can be reduced as
short as femtosecond (10
-15
s)
Bose condensation quantum state appearing
macroscopically
Application of lasers
Optical Communications
Optical Storages
Laser Printers
Diplays
Laser Processing
Medical Treatments
Optical fiber communication
Optical fiber
communication system
Multi-
plexer
Electro-
optical
conversio
n
Laser diode
Amplifier
Photodiode
Opto-
electronic
Conversion
Demult
i-plexer
Optical fiber
Optical Storages
CDDVDBD
MDMO
Laser Printers
http://web.canon.jp/technology/detail/lbp/laser_unit/index.html
scanner
motor/ motor
driver
laser diode/
laser driver
cylindrical lens
opt. box
horizontal sync
mirror
polygon mirror
spherical lens
toric lens
BD lens
photosensitive drum
Computer
optical fiber
DC
controller
BD signal
BD signal
video signal
controller
Laser Show
Polygon mirror
Laser Processing
Web site of Fujitsu
Laser Diodes (LDs)
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Lasers (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission)
Photon emission processes:
Absorption
Photodetectors
Spontaneous emission
LEDs
Stimulated emission
Lasers
Laser Cavity Design
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Photo Diodes (PDs)
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A photodiode is a semiconductor diode that functions as a
photodetector. It is a p-n junction or p-i-n structure. When a
photon of sufficient energy strikes the diode, it excites an
electron thereby creating a mobile electron and a positively
charged electron hole
Principle of operation

A photodiode is a p-n junction or PIN structure. When
a photon of sufficient energy strikes the diode, it creates
an electron, hole pair. This mechanism is also known as the
inner photoelectric effect. If the absorption occurs in the
junction's depletion region, or one diffusion length away from it,
these carriers are swept from the junction by the built-in electric
field of the depletion region. Thus holes move toward the anode,
and electrons toward the cathode, and a photocurrent is
produced. The total current through the photodiode is the sum of
the dark current (current that flows with or without light) and the
photocurrent, so the dark current must be minimized to maximize
the sensitivity of the device.

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Operation Principle of a PD
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PDs Detection Range and Materials
Material Wavelength range (nm)
Silicon (Si) 1901100
Germanium (Ge) 4001700
Indium gallium arsenide
(InGaAs)

Lead sulfide (PbS)
8002600


<1000-3500

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Vision of Solar Cells (Photovoltaics)
Photovoltaics (PV) is a method of generating
electrical power by converting solar
radiation into direct current
electricity using semiconductors that exhibit
the photovoltaic effect. Photovoltaic power generation
employs solar panels composed of a number of solar
cells containing a photovoltaic material. Materials
presently used for photovoltaics
include monocrystalline silicon, polycrystalline
silicon, amorphous silicon, cadmium telluride,
and copper indium gallium selenide/sulfide. Due to
the increased demand for renewable energy sources,
the manufacturing of solar cells and photovoltaic
arrays has advanced considerably in recent years.
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Solar Energy Spectrum
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Spectrum of the solar energy
Solar radiation outside
the earths surface:
1.35 kW/m
2
, 6500 times
larger than worlds
energy demand
AM0: radiation above the earths atmosphere
AM1.5: radiation at the earths surface
Blackbody radiation: ideal radiation
Vision of Solar Cells (Photovoltaics)
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Solar Energy Free
Essentially Unlimited
Not Localized
Solar Cells
Direct Conversion of Sunlight Electricity
No Pollution
No Release of Greenhouse-effect Gases
No Waste or Heat Disposal Problems
No Noise Pollution very few or no
moving parts
No transmission losses on-Site
Installation
Why solar cells?
Operation Principle of Solar Cells
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Residential and Commercial Applications
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Challenges:
cost reduction via: a) economy of scales b) building integration and
c) high efficiency cells
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Thank you
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