Broadband electroluminescence from infrared to ultraviolet in p-hBN/nAlGaN heterojunction

We report broadband electroluminescence spanning from the infrared to the ultraviolet in a p-hexagonal boron nitride (hBN)/n-AlGaN tunneling heterojunction. By circumventing the need for n-type hBN, this heterostructure enables efficient electrical excitation of hBN defect states through resonant tunneling-mediated carrier injection. Bias-controlled alignment of defect levels leads to the progressive activation of multiple defect-related emission bands, while AlGaN band-to-band emission appears only at the highest forward biases. The results establish resonant tunneling as a robust mechanism for electrically driven, voltage-tunable light emission in hBN.