Epitaxial Semiconductor Structures for the Infrared: Where Are We Now?

The use of epitaxial structures for the generation, detection, and modulation of modulation of light has had as its strongest driving force the development of fiber optic communications systems. Partly for that reason, the semiconductor materials systems that can be most readily optimized for wavelengths (8-16nm) transmittable through state-of-the-art optical fibers, have been the most developed.