Ultrafast Spectroscopy of Mid-Infrared Semiconductors Using the Signal and Idler Beams of a Synchronous Optical Parametric Oscillator

The objective to this thesis was to improve the procedure for taking unltrafast, time-resolved measurements of photoluminescence from MWIR semiconductors. Previous work has used mode-locked titanium sapphire (Ti:Saph) laser to excite the semiconductor sample and to upconvert the photoluminescene from the semiconductor. Work completed in this thesis improved on the techniques developed during previous work. A synchronous Optical Parameter Oscillator (OPO) will be used to convert the Ti:Saph laser 0.830 micron into 1.3 micron signal and 2.3 micron idler eams. Whereas the Ti:Saph reference and signal beams were too energetic to excite the quantum well (QW) layers of certain MWIR opto-electronic semiconductor structures, the synchronous OPO allows investigation of the active layer by directly exciting the QWs. Photoluminescence was detected from an indium arsenide antimonide (InAsSb) sample with a peak wavelength of 3.8 micron. A detailed procedure for setup of the TRPL experiment using the synchronous OPO is provided.