Theoretical investigation of electroluminescence and current-voltage characteristics in p-i-n resonant tunneling light emitting diode

Multiple-line electroluminescence (EL) spectrum and current bistability in the current-voltage (I-V) relationship have been reported in a p-i-n resonant tunneling light emitting diode based on an AlGaAs/GaAs heterostructure. In this work we report our theoretical investigation of the energy band structure of this diode under different forward bias V-ex. It is concluded that the occupation of excited hole subbands and the interactions between light and heavy holes are the most possible reasons to account the observed the multiple-line EL spectrum. The current bistability in I-V relationship is attributed to the charge accumulation in the central i region when carriers begin to tunnel directly through the diode at V-ex = V-i, where V-i is the built-in potential in the p-i-n structure. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(98)00822-6].