The Institute of Solid State Physics (IFP) and its technology centre, the “Centre of NanoPhotonics” is part of the Technical University of Berlin, which has some 30 000 students, making it the largest technical university in Germany. The physics department has the second largest number of physics diploma students of all German physics departments. The institute is one of the most important German centres for materials technology, physics and applications of nanostructures and hosts the National Science Foundation (DFG) Centre on “Semiconductor NanoPhotonics” (SFB 787), a 12-year project. It plays a decisive role in ongoing national and international research cooperations, like the bmb+f “Competence Center for the Application of Nanostructures in Optoelectronics” (NanOp) and the EC projects 100x100 Optics, HiTrans, and VISIT. Furthermore, many spin-offs (e.g. Laytec, Innolume, Lumics, V.I. Systems, etc.) were successfully founded by institute members based on proprietary knowledge.

TUB’s expertise is centered on the growth and investigation of electronic, optical and transport properties in semiconductor heterostructures. Basic research mainly focuses on the electronic structure, carrier localization energies, many-particle effects, excitonic complexes, fine-structure splitting and the role of phonons. Application-oriented research focuses on utilizing self-assembled QDs for a variety of opto-electronic devices, such as high-frequency lasers, amplifiers and single-photon sources. Of particular relevance over the last years has been the investigation of charge-carrier dynamics in QDs (like capture-/storage and emission). QD-based structures have been assessed as building blocks for future memories, leading to the novel QDbased memory concept that was submitted for patent and is a basis of the present project. In summary, TUB has outstanding expertise in QD growth, optical and electronic characterization, culminating in device processing and characterization.

Of particular relevance for this project is the expertise and facility for transport measurements using C-V and deep level transient spectroscopy (DLTS). In QD-based structures the electronic properties and the charge carrier dynamics have been investigated. Research activities include carrier storage, emission and capture times of electrons and holes. Berlin has recently proposed a memory structure based on III-V QDs as storage units. This memory concept has been tested focusing on write times, showing a minimum value of 6 ns at low temperature. Berlin’s know-how in high frequency measurements of opto-electronic devices, lasers and amplifiers with repetition rates up to 80 GHz is the basis for the success of the device testing measurements within this project.

Prof. Dr. D. Bimberg is the head of the Institute of Solid State Physics and the director of the Centre of NanoPhotonics at the TUB. Over the last decade he has accumulated experience in MOCVD-growth of self-organized QDs in many material systems and their investigation by photoluminescence, photoluminescence excitation, µ-photoluminescence, time resolved capacitance and cathodoluminescence measurements. Advance modelling by 8-band k.p-theory supports the experimental research. Furthermore, the fabrication and characterization of opto-electronic components for future data-com devices based on QDs has been initiated by him on a worldwide level. For his work, he was honoured in 2003, for example, with the “Russian State Prize for Science and Technology” by Russian President Putin. In 2006 he was recipient of the Max Born award and medal of the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Institute of Physics (IOP). He was elected to the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in 2004 and as Fellow to the American Physical Society. Other important staff members are: A. Marent (co-inventor of the TUB memory concept) and T. Nowozin both of whom have several years of experience on design of III-V-based-memories, their fabrication and evaluation.