High temperature CW operation of 1.5 ?m InGaAsP/InP buffer-layer loaded planoconvex waveguide lasers

InGaAsP/InP buffer-layer loaded planoconvex waveguide lasers are reported. The CW threshold current at 20°C was 70 mA. The maximum CW operating temperature of 70°C was achieved. The characteristic temperature under CW operation was 51 K. Operation in fundamental transverse mode and single longitudinal mode up to 1.9 and 1.4 times the threshold current, respectively, was obtained.     

V-grooved substrate buried heterostructure InGaAsP/InP laser emitting at 1.3 µm wavelength

Details of the fabrication, optimization of the dimensions of the active region, characteristics, and the aging results of theV- grooved substrate buried heterostructure (VSB) InGaAsP/InP laser are described. It is shown that the VSB laser can be fabricated in one-step epitaxy as well as two-step epitaxy. The active region width below 2.5 μm and the thickness of0.15-0.2 mum are shown to give stable fundamental mode operation and good temperature characteristics. The fundamental mode operation up to the optical output of 20 mW/facet at 25°C and the CW operation above 100°C are obtained. The pulse response showed the strongly damped relaxation oscillation with a frequency as high as 4.5 GHz. The spectral width under the modulation of 400 Mbit/s RZ single is as narrow as 25 Å in full width at half maximum. Highly stable aging characteristics at an elevated temperature of 50°C are obtained in both two-step epitaxy lasers and one-step epitaxy lasers.     

InGaAs/GaAs/AlGaAs应变量子阱激光器

优化设计了既能实现较小垂直方向远场发散角,又能降低腔面光功率密度的ＩｎＧａＡｓ／ＧａＡｓ／ＡｌＧａＡｓ应变层量子阱激光器,并计算了该结构激光器实现基横模工作的脊形波导结构参数。利用分子束外延生长了ＩｎＧａＡｓ／ＧａＡｓ／ＡｌＧａＡｓ应变量子阱激光器材料并研制出基横模输出功率大于１４０ｍＷ,激射波长为９８０ｎｍ的脊形波导应变量子阱激光器,其微分量子效率为０．８Ｗ／Ａ,垂直和平行结平面方向远场发散角分别为２８°和６．８°     

Optimum design conditions for AlGaAs window stripe lasers

The maximum available CW optical power from the AlGaAs window stripe laser was investigated both theoretically and experimentally. It is found that a thin third AlGaAs layer thickness and high-quality pulsed lasing characteristics, such as low threshold current density and high external differential quantum efficiency, which are obtained from refractive index guiding and short window-region length, are necessary to increase CW optical power. Stable fundamental lateral transverse mode CW operation was achieved at 55 mW (∼4.7 MW/cm²) in a window stripe (WS) laser with 3 μm stripewidth, which is about five times higher than the typical catastrophic optical damage (COD) threshold in conventional structure lasers. It was also found that a high-quality window stripe laser with 3 μm stripewidth operated at 30 mW (∼2.6 MW/cm²) for more than 3500 h.     

Transverse mode stabilized AlxGa1-xAs injection lasers with channeled-substrate-planar structure

A built-in passive waveguide mechanism is introduced in AlxGa1-xAs injection lasers by growing planar double heterostructure (DH) layers on a grooved GaAs substrate. The lasing mode is confined to the channel region due to excess absorption loss outside the channel. Stable fundamental mode oscillation is achieved up to twice the threshold current for a channel width of5-8 mu. Undesirable lasing behavior usually induced by transverse mode instability, such as nonlinear kinks in the light output versus current characteristics, are significantly reduced in the present lasers. The dc threshold current is 40-90 mA at room temperature. Median lifetime of 780 hours has been obtained during preliminary aging tests at a heat sink temperature of 70°C.     

Asymmetric cladding-ridge waveguide laser by selective-area MOCVD

Ridge waveguide lasers with a thin upper cladding layer are fabricated with a two-step selective-area MOCVD growth. The lower cladding, active region, and upper cladding are all grown in the initial MOCVD growth. A second growth over an oxide pattern is used to define the ridge with 0.15 μm of GaAs, which serves as both the contact and index increasing layer. Ridge lasers fabricated by this method (3×425 μm) have a cw threshold current of 12.6 mA, slope efficiency of 0.26 W/A, and operate in a fundamental transverse mode as well as stable fundamental lateral mode to 20 times threshold     

AlGaAs/GaAs visible ridge waveguide laser with multicavity structure

Ridge waveguide lasers of two different cavity configurations are described. First is the multisection ridge laser structure in which the longitudinal mode selection due to the coupled-cavity effect was observed and single-frequency operation was achieved. In this structure, stable single-transverse-mode operation was ensured by the central 5 μm wide section, and the beam waist and power output were enlarged by the outer 10 μm wide sections. Output power of more than 13 mW under pulsed excitation was obtained. The second configuration is the shallow groove ridge laser in which the 5 μm wide shallow groove terminates slightly above the active region and provides an index perturbation that contributes to mode selection. All the lasers are designed to emil in the visible range between 7600 and 7900 Å. The shortest observed wavelength is 7570 Å, and can be seen by the naked eye.     

A groove GaInAsP laser on semi-insulating InP using a laterally diffused junction

Low threshold current GaInAsP/InP groove lasers have been fabricated on semi-insulating InP substrates. Three n-type layers are grown with a single liquid phase epitaxial (LPE) growth process, and the p-n junction is formed by a lateral Zn diffusion. The active layer inside the groove provides a real index waveguide. Threshold currents as low as 14 mA with 300 μm cavity length are obtained. A single longitudinal mode at 1.3 μm up to1.4 I_{TH}is observed. The lasers operate with a single lateral mode when the active region width is less than 2.5 μm. This laser is suitable for monolithic integration with other optoelectronic devices.     

Performance of Hybrid Laser Diodes Consisting of Silicon Slab and InP/InGaAsP Deep‐Ridge Waveguides

The fundamental transverse mode lasing of a hybrid laser diode is a prerequisite for efficient coupling to a single‐mode silicon waveguide, which is necessary for a wavelength‐division multiplexing silicon interconnection. We investigate the lasing mode profile for a hybrid laser diode consisting of silicon slab and InP/InGaAsP deep ridge waveguides. When the thickness of the top silicon is 220 nm, the fundamental transverse mode is lasing in spite of the wide waveguide width of 3.7µm. The threshold current is 40 mA, and the maximum output power is 5 mW under CW current operation. In the case of a thick top silicon layer (1 µm), the higher modes are lasing. There is no significant difference in the thermal resistance of the two devices.     

Analysis and performance of channeled-substrate-planar double-heterojunction lasers with geometrical asymmetries

The effects of geometrical asymmetries on the optoelectronic properties of CSP-DH lasers using self-consistent calculations of the optical field and the electron-hole distribution in the active layer are analyzed and compared with device measurements. Laser properties modeled include gain profile, threshold, slope efficiency, near field, and far field. This analysis shows that small geometrical asymmetries due to device fabrication can produce significant changes in the optical and electrical properties of CSP-DH lasers, especially at high-output power levels. For example, a 0.5 μm misalignment of the Zn diffusion with respect to the substrate channel can produce lateral near-field and far-field shifts of 0.6 μm and 2.5°, respectively, and limit single spatial mode operation to about 30 mW.     

1.6 µm wavelength GaInAsP/InP lasers prepared by two-phase solution technique

Reduction of the threshold current of GaInAsP lasers with an antimeltback layer was studied in the wavelength range1.50-1.65 mun. The two-phase solution growth technique was applied using a relatively low temperature and a slow cooling rate of 0.17°C/min to reduce the active layer thickness. The antimeltback layer with a bandgap wavelength of 1.35 μm resulted in a flat active layer and eliminated the melt-back problem completely. From experiments and calculations we found that both the carrier and the optical confinement of this structure, having an antimeltback layer, were almost the same as those for the conventional InP cladding structure. A threshold eurrent density as low as 1.2 kA/cm²and an active layer thickness of 0.20μm were obtained at these wavelengths. The lattice-match condition of low-temperature growth was studied. In the low-temperature growth, the longer wavelength lasers were grown with the same amount of InAs.J_{th}/dwas independent of the growth condition (T_{S}, T_{G}) and had a value of 5-6 kA/cm². μm.     

InGaAsP/InP separated multiclad layer stripe geometry laser emitting at 1.5 µm wavelength

We have developed an InGaAsP/InP separated multiclad layer (SML) stripe geometry laser emitting at 1.5 μm wavelength. In this laser, the optical confinement is done by the effective refractive index step owing to the formation of the coupled waveguide outside the stripe region. The current confinement is done by the p-n-p-n structure outside the stripe region. The CW threshold current at 25 °C is only 82 mA for the stripe width and the cavity length of 6 μm and 250 μm, respectively. The maximum temperature where the CW lasing is obtained is 65°C. The characteristic temperature of the threshold current is 60 K. The transverse mode is fundamental up to 1.8 times the threshold. Ten samples are operated at 50°C with constant optical output of 5 mW/facet. These samples are still operating at over 10 000 h with a slight increase in the driving current. The appreciable change in the characteristics due to aging is not observed.     

Oscillation characteristics in InGaAsP/InP DH lasers with self-aligned structure

This paper presents new stripe geometry InGaAsP/InP DH lasers having mechanisms for suppressing current spreads and for controlling the transverse mode parallel to the junction plane. The theoretical study for optimum design of these lasers from which the analytic method of oscillation characteristics, including control of the transverse mode parallel to the junction plane attributable to refractive index and gain, was derived is discussed. The oscillation characteristics, especially the waveguide properties of the transverse mode are reported. Experimental results show excellent agreement with the theory and show that the transverse mode is totally confined by the built-in passive waveguide for a stripe width of 5 μm.     

Low threshold operation of 1.5-µm DFB laser diodes

Highly reliable distributed feedback (DFB) laser diodes operating at 1.5-μm wavelength range are fabricated through optimizing the device parameters. Thickness control of the active layer is found to be an essential factor in achieving low threshold operation of DFB lasers. The threshold current as low as 11 mA and stable single longitudinal mode CW operation up to 106°C is achieved with these DFB lasers.     

Low-threshold InGaAsP ridge waveguide lasers at 1.3 µm

The ridge waveguide configuration is shown to provide reliable low-threshold fundamental-transverse-mode lasers that are readily fabricated. Two variants are described: in the simple ridge laser, the 1.3 μm bandgap active layer is sandwiched between InP layers and in the cladded ridge, the active layer is surrounded by 1.1 μm bandgap InGa AsP. Thresholds as low as 34 mA and efficiencies as high as 66 percent are observed. Output power is linear to more than 12 mW. Several lasers have been operated at 30°C for over 1500 h without measurable degradation. Selected lasers exhibit stabilized longitudinal mode behavior over extended temperature and current ranges. The potential manufacturability of this device is its most attractive feature.     

CW electrooptical properties of InGaAsP(λ = 1.3 µm) buried-heterostructure lasers

The fabrication procedure, electrical properties, optical-bean characteristics, spectral characteristics, and temperature dependence of emission wavelength and threshold of InGaAsP buried-heterostructure (BH) lasers emitting at 1.3 μm are described. The dimensional requirements for fundamental-transverse mode operation have been determined. BH devices are characterized by low threshold currents, fundamental transverse mode operation, linear light output, and narrow spectral width. For 380 μm long devices threshold currents of 40 mA, slope efficiencies of 18 percent, forward resistance of 5 Ω, and T0values of 75 K have been attained.     

High-power 780 nm window diffusion stripe laser diodes fabricatedby an open-tube two-step diffusion technique

High-power and low-threshold-current GaAlAs lasers with a simple window structure fabricated by controllable open-tube two-step diffusion and single-step metalorganic chemical vapor deposition are discussed. The window structure and the waveguide with a narrow width around 2 μm are formed by diffusion of zinc, which just passes through an n-type active layer. CW output power up to 134 mW without catastrophic damage and a threshold current of 17 mA have been achieved. A maximum output power density of 16 MW/cm² is estimated. A stable fundamental transverse mode of up to 100 mV in the wavelength range of 780 nm is obtained. Excellent uniformity of device characteristics is confirmed     

1.5 µm range InGaAsP/InP distributed feedback lasers

Lasing characteristics of InGaAsP/InP distributed feedback (DFB) lasers in the 1.5 μm range were studied theoretically and experimentally. Wave propagation in five-layer DFB waveguides were analyzed to estimate the effect of the structural parameters on threshold conditions. A brief consideration on designing a low threshold laser and its lasing wavelength was made. DFB buried heterostructure lasers with fundamental grating emitting at 1.53 μm were prepared by liquid phase epitaxial techniques. CW operation was confirmed in the temperature rangeof -20° to 58°C, and a CW threshold current was as low as 50 mA at room temperature. A stable single longitudinal mode operation was observed both in dc condition and in modulated condition by a pseudorandom pulse current at 500 Mbits/s. No significant increase in the threshold current was observed after 1400 h continuous CW operation at 20°C.     

Three- and four-layer LPE InGaAs(P) mushroom stripe lasers for λ = 1.30, 1.54, and 1.66 µm

Mushroom stripe (MS) InGaAsP/InP and InGaAs/InP lasers have been realized emitting atlambda = 1.3, 1.54,and 1.66 μm, respectively. The main advantage of these MS lasers is their technological simplicity, because only one epitaxial growth step consisting of three or four layers, respectively, is required. No contact layer and no filling layers are needed. In our phosphorus silicate glass (PSG) passivated MS lasers, current spreading is completely inhibited. The devices have very low CW threshold currents and high values of output power, external differential efficiency, and To. All these properties are equivalent to those of the much more complicated buried heterostructure lasers. CW operation in up-side-up mounted MS lasers on p-type substrates is easily achieved, because their series resistance is very low. The devices oscillate in the fundamental lateral mode for easily achievable width and thickness combinations, and tend to longitudinal monomode behavior at moderate output powers. The modulation capability is more than 1 Gbit/s RZ due to the low capacitance of the mushrooms. The commonly used antimeltback layer for lasers withlambda > 1.5 mum on