Demonstration of electroluminescence from strained Ge membrane LED

Abstract

We demonstrate electroluminescence (EL) from light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on highly strained germanium (Ge) membranes. Electrical measurements show an on-off ratio increase of one order of magnitude in membrane LEDs compared to bulk. The EL spectrum from the 0.76% strained Ge LED shows a 100nm redshift of the center wavelength. We also discuss the implications for highly efficient Ge lasers. © 2012 IEEE.