Low-threshold InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer quantum-well lasers (lambda=0.98 micron) with GaInP cladding layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy

R. M. Kapre; Won-Tien Tsang; Ming C. Wu; Young-Kai Chen

doi:10.1117/12.141113

16 February 1993 Low-threshold InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer quantum-well lasers (λ=0.98 μm) with GaInP cladding layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy

R. M. Kapre, Won-Tien Tsang, Ming C. Wu, Young-Kai Chen

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 1788, Sources and Detectors for Fiber Communications; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.141113
Event: Fibers '92, 1992, Boston, MA, United States

Abstract

Strained InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well (QW) lasers operating at 0.98 micrometers are currently of great interest due to their suitability for pumping erbium-doped fiber amplifiers. They are reported to yield a lower noise figure and higher gain coefficient than the 1.48 micrometers InGaAs/InP pump lasers as well as 0.8 micrometers AlGaAs/GaAs pump lasers. In addition, the InGaAs/AlGaAs strained QW lasers have lower threshold current, higher slope efficiency, and less temperature dependance. All these factors contribute to lowering the power dissipation of the pump design. Recently Ga_0.51In_0.49P, lattice-matched to GaAs has been introduced as a substitute for the AlGaAs cladding layers due to reports suggesting its resistance to rapid degradation by dark line defect propagation and to catastrophic mirror damage. The aluminum-free system also lends itself more readily to device fabrication by selective etching and epitaxial regrowth or mass transport. We report on the first InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer QW lasers using GaInP cladding layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy. The laser structure is a separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) with the active region consisting of 70 angstroms thick In_0.2Ga_0.8As quantum well and 220 angstroms thick GaAs barriers. The active and the SCH region are cladded by Ga_0.51In_0.49P layers of 1.35 micrometers thickness. A very low broad-area threshold current density of 70 A/cm² was obtained for 1500 micrometers long single QW lasers which is among the lowest reported for InGaAs/GaAs/GaInP lasers. The J_th for two and three QW lasers were 135 A/cm² and 170 A/cm² respectively. Ridge waveguide lasers with 4 micrometers width have very low cw threshold currents: 7.8 mA for 500 micrometers -long cavity and 10 mA for 750 micrometers -long cavity. External differential quantum efficiency as high as 0.9 mW/mA was obtained for 250 micrometers -long lasers. From the slope of inverse quantum efficiency versus cavity length, a very low internal waveguide loss of 2.5 cm^-1 and an internal quantum efficiency of 0.95 are inferred.

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R. M. Kapre, Won-Tien Tsang, Ming C. Wu, and Young-Kai Chen "Low-threshold InGaAs/GaAs strained-layer quantum-well lasers (λ=0.98 μm) with GaInP cladding layers grown by chemical beam epitaxy", Proc. SPIE 1788, Sources and Detectors for Fiber Communications, (16 February 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.141113

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