Stimulated emission in a nanostructured silicon $pn$ junction diode using current injection

Stimulated emission at bandgap energy of 1.1 eV was observed in a silicon nanostructured $pn$ junction diode using current injection at room temperature. Nonuniform diffusion using spin-on boron dopant mixed with silicon dioxide nanoparticles was used to fabricate the device. The spatial confinement of carriers through such localization structures contributes to the enhancement of the stimulated emission. The experimental results show a drastic increase in the optical power and multiple spectral peaks at wavelengths longer than the main peak of spontaneous emission through various phonon-assisted radiative recombination processes. When the injection current significantly exceeds a threshold, a single peak dominates, exhibiting stimulated emission.