Low-threshold oxide-confined 1.3-μm quantum-dot laser

Data are presented on low threshold, 1.3-μm oxide-confined InGaAs-GaAs quantum dot lasers. A very low continuous-wave threshold current of 1.2 mA with a threshold current density of 28 A/cm² is achieved with p-up mounting at room temperature. For slightly larger devices the continuous-wave threshold current density is as low as 19 A/cm²     

Low-threshold current, high-efficiency 1.3-μm wavelengthaluminum-free InGaAsN-based quantum-well lasers

We demonstrate high-performance Al-free InGaAsN-GaAs-InGaP-based long-wavelength quantum-well (QW) lasers grown on GaAs substrates by gas-source molecular beam epitaxy using a RF plasma nitrogen source. Continuous wave (CW) operation of InGaAsN-GaAs QW lasers is demonstrated at λ=1.3 μm at a threshold current density of only J_TH =1.32 kA/cm². These narrow ridge (W=8.5 μm) lasers also exhibit an internal loss of only 3.1 cm^-1 and an internal efficiency of 60%. Also, a characteristic temperature of T₀=150 K from 10°C to 60°C was measured, representing a significant improvement over conventional λ=1.3 μm InGaAsP-InP lasers. Under pulsed operation, a record high maximum operating temperature of 125°C and output powers greater than 300 mW (pulsed) and 120 mW (CW) were also achieved     

High-temperature operating 1.3-μm quantum-dot lasers fortelecommunication applications

High-performance 1.3-μm-emitting quantum-dot lasers were fabricated by self-organized growth of InAs dots embedded in GaInAs quantum wells. The influence of the number of quantum-dot layers on the device performance was investigated. Best device results were achieved with six-dot layers. From the length dependence; a maximum ground state gain of 17 cm^-1 for six dot layers could be determined. Ridge waveguide lasers with a cavity length of 400 μm and high-reflection coatings show threshold currents of 6 mA and output powers of more than 5 mV. Unmounted devices can be operated in continuous wave mode up to 85°C. A maximum operating temperature of 160°C was achieved in pulsed operation for an uncoated 2.5-mm-long ridge waveguide laser     

Optical characteristics of 1.24-μm InAs quantum-dot laser diodes

The optical characteristics of the first laser diodes fabricated from a single-InAs quantum-dot layer placed inside a strained InGaAs QW are described. The saturated modal gain for this novel laser active region is found to be 9-10 cm^-1 in the ground state. Room temperature threshold current densities as low as 83 A/cm² for uncoated 1.24-μm devices are measured, and operating wavelengths over a 190-nm span are demonstrated     

Temperature dependence of lasing characteristics forlong-wavelength (1.3-μm) GaAs-based quantum-dot lasers

Data are presented on the temperature dependence of 1.3-μm wavelength quantum-dot (QD) lasers. A low-threshold current density of 90 A/cm² is achieved at room temperature using high reflectivity coatings. Despite the low-threshold current density, lasing at the higher temperatures is limited by nonradiative recombination with a rapid increase in threshold current occurring above ~225 K. Our results suggest that very low threshold current density (⩽20 A/cm ²) can be achieved at room temperature from 1.3-μm QD lasers, once nonradiative recombination is eliminated     

1.3-μm AlGaInAs-AlGaInAs strained multiple-quantum-well laserswith a p-AlInAs electron stopper layer

1.3-μm AlGaInAs-AlGaInAs strained multiple-quantum-well (MQW) lasers with a p-AlInAs electron stopper layer have been fabricated. The electron stopper layer was inserted between the MQW and p-side separate confinement heterostructure (SCH) layers to suppress the electron overflow from the MQW to p-SCH. The characteristic temperatures of the threshold currents and slope efficiencies were improved in the lasers with the stopper layers, especially at higher temperatures. As a result, a maximum operating temperature of 155°C was achieved, which was 20°C higher than that without the stopper layer     

Low threshold current density 1.3-μm strained-layer quantum-welllasers using n-type modulation doping

We have developed 1.3 μm n-type modulation-doped strained-layer quantum-well lasers. Modulation-doped lasers with long cavities (low threshold gain) exhibit much lower threshold current densities than conventional lasers with undoped barrier layers. The lowest threshold current density we obtained was 250 A/cm² for 1500 μm long lasers with five quantum wells. The estimated threshold current density for an infinite cavity length was 38 A/m²/well. This is the lowest value for InGaAsP-InGaAsP and InGaAs-InGaAsP quantum well lasers to our knowledge     

Low-threshold 1.3-μm InGaAsN:Sb-GaAs single-quantum-well lasersgrown by molecular beam epitaxy

1.3-μm InGaAsN:Sb-GaAs single-quantum-well laser diodes have been grown by a solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using Sb as a surfactant. A record low threshold of 1.02 kA/cm² and a slope efficiency of 0.12 W/A are obtained for broad-area laser diodes under pulsed operation at room temperature. A characteristic temperature of 64 K and a lasing wavelength temperature dependence of 0.38 nm/°C are reported     

Low-threshold, high-power, 1.3-μm wavelength, InGaAsP-InPetched-facet folded-cavity surface-emitting lasers

A 1.3-μm wavelength, InGaAsP-InP folded-cavity, surface-emitting laser with CH₄-H₂ reactive ion-etched vertical and 45° angled facets was demonstrated for the first time. Continuous-wave threshold currents of 32 mA have been achieved, with >15 mW CW power for the surface-emitted light. These surface-emitting lasers with two dry-etched facets are suitable for wafer-level testing and for monolithic integration with other InP-based photonic devices     

Low-threshold operation of 1.3-μm GaAsSb quantum-well lasersdirectly grown on GaAs substrates

GaAsSb quantum-well (QW) edge-emitting lasers grown on GaAs substrates were demonstrated. The optical quality of the QW was improved by optimizing the growth conditions and introducing a multi-QW to increase the gain. As a result, 1.27-μm lasing of a GaAs_0.66 Sb_0.34-GaAs double-QW laser was obtained with a low-threshold current density of 440 A/cm², which is comparable to that in conventional InP-based long-wavelength lasers. 1.30 μm lasing with a threshold current density of 770 A/cm² was also obtained by increasing the antimony content to 0.36. GaAsSb QW was found to be a suitable material for use in the active layer of a 1.3-μm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers     

1.3 /spl mu/m InAs/GaAs multilayer quantum-dot laser with extremely low room-temperature threshold current density

A high growth temperature step used for the GaAs spacer layer is shown to significantly improve the performance of 1.3 /spl mu/m multilayer InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers. Extremely low room-temperature continuous-wave threshold current densities of 32.5 and 17 A/cm/sup 2/ are achieved for a three-layer device with as-cleaved facets and high-reflectivity coated facets, respectively.     

1.3-μm vertical-cavity amplifier

We demonstrate the first 1.3-μm vertical-cavity optical amplifier. The amplifier was optically pumped and operated in reflection mode. Optimization of the top mirror reflectivity resulted in a 9.4-dB continuous wave fiber-to-fiber gain, a gain-bandwidth product of 220 GHz, and a saturation output power of -6.1 dBm, all at room temperature. By modulating the pump source, an extinction ratio of 27 dB in the output signal power was obtained     

1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum-dot laser with high dot density and high uniformity

We realized a triple-stacked 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum dot (QD) with a high density of 2.4/spl times/10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/ and a high uniformity of below 24 meV that employs an As/sub 2/ source and a gradient composition (GC) strain-reducing layer (SRL) grown on a GaAs substrate. We demonstrated the 1.3-/spl mu/m wavelength emission of this triple-stacked QD laser with a 0.92-mm cavity length and a cleaved facet at room temperature. In addition, we realized the highest maximum modal gain yet reported of 8.1 cm/sup -1/ per QD layer at beyond 1.28 /spl mu/m by using our high-density and high-uniformity QD.     

1.3-μm AlGaInAs buried-heterostructure lasers

1.3-μm AlGaInAs-InP strained multiple-quantumwell (MQW) buried-heterostructure (BH) lasers have been successfully fabricated. InP current blocking layers could be smoothly regrown using the simple HF pretreatment, although the etched active region includes Al-containing layers. The threshold current I_th was typically 11 mA for as-cleaved 350-μm-long devices, which is about 30% lower than that of the ridge laser counterparts. A maximum continuous-wave operating temperature as high as 155°C was achieved. For the 200-μm-long device with the high-reflective-coated rear-facet, I_th was as low as 7.5 mA and characteristic temperature T₀ was 80 K. The BH lasers also provided more circular far-field patterns and lower thermal resistances than for ridge lasers     

InAs quantum-dot lasers operating near 1.3 μm with highcharacteristic temperature for continuous-wave operation

A high characteristic temperature with T₀ of 126 K under continuous-wave operation is obtained for an InAs/GaAs quantum dot laser. A triple-stacked active region with an energy separation of 95 meV between the ground and first excited radiative transitions is used to achieve a ground state saturation gain at 300 K of 13 cm^-1, and high internal quantum efficiency of 74%     

Recombination mechanisms in 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum-dot lasers

We measure, in real units, the radiative and total current density in high performance 1.3-/spl mu/m InAs quantum-dot-laser structures. Despite very low threshold current densities, significant nonradiative recombination (/spl sim/80% of the total recombination) occurs at 300 K with an increasing fraction at higher current density and higher temperature. Two nonradiative processes are identified; the first increases approximately linearly with the radiative recombination while the second increases at a faster rate and is associated with the loss of carriers to either excited dot states or the wetting layer.     

1.15-μm wavelength oxide-confined quantum-dot vertical-cavitysurface-emitting laser

Low-threshold lasing is achieved at 1.154 μm for an oxide-confined quantum-dot (QD) vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) grown on a GaAs substrate. The long wavelength emission is obtained through use of an InAs-GaAs QD active region. A continuous-wave (CW) threshold of 502 μA is obtained for a device size of 10-μm diameter, corresponding to a threshold current density of 640 A/cm²      

1.3-μm InAsP modulation-doped MQW lasers

The effect of both n-type and p-type modulation doping on multiple-quantum-well (MQW) laser performances was studied using gas-source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with the object of the further improvement of long-wavelength strained MQW lasers. The obtained threshold current density was as low as 250 A/cm² for 1200-μm-long devices in n-type modulation-doped MQW (MD-MQW) lasers. A very low CW threshold current of 0.9 mA was obtained in 1.3-μm InAsP n-type MD-MQW lasers at room temperature, which is the lowest ever reported for long-wavelength lasers using n-type modulation doping, and the lowest value for lasers grown by all kinds of MBE in the long-wavelength region. Both a reduction of the threshold current and the carrier lifetime in n-type MD MQW lasers caused the reduction of the turn-on delay time by about 30%. The 1.3-μm InAsP strained MQW lasers using n-type modulation doping with very low power consumption and small turn-on delay time are very attractive for laser array applications in high-density parallel optical interconnection systems. On the other hand, the differential gain was confirmed to increase by a factor of 1.34 for p-type MD MQW lasers (N_A=5×10¹⁸ cm ^-3) as compared with undoped MQW lasers, and the turn-on delay time was reduced by about 20% as compared with undoped MQW lasers. These results indicate that p-type modulation doping is suitable for high-speed lasers     

1.3-μm GaInNAs-AlGaAs distributed feedback lasers

Room temperature continuous-wave operation of 1.3-μm single-mode GaInNAs-AlGaAs distributed feedback (DFB)-lasers has been realized. The laser structure has been grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) using an electron cyclotron resonance plasma source for nitrogen activation (ECR-MBE). Laterally to the laser ridge a metal grating is patterned in order to obtain DFB. The evanescent field of the laser mode couples to the grating resulting in single-mode DFB emission. The continuous wave threshold currents are around 120 mA for a cavity with 800-μm length and 2 μm width. Monomode emission with side-mode suppression ratios of nearly 40 dB have been obtained