Electrical pumping of a third-order mode semiconductor laser

Abstract

AlGaAs-based quantum well laser structures with third-order waveguide mode emission at 775 nm are a promising route toward compact twin-photon sources at 1.55 μm based on the principle of modal phase matching between the pumping frequency and fundamental modes at half frequency in III–V semiconductor waveguides. Following the demonstration and characterization of an optically pumped third-order mode semiconductor laser, in this paper we present data of the corresponding structure under conditions of electrical pumping. By pumping electrically and optically the same sample made for current injection, identical transverse far-field angular laser mode profiles are measured and with very low parasitic losses. Although they do not follow the third-order mode emission pattern as it is expected, however this means that the different way of pumping, that of the electrical one as compared to optical pumping is not responsible for the absence of third-order mode emission. Furthermore, since the undoped optically pumped laser sample correctly emits on the third-order mode, it is concluded that the cladding layers of the structure still need to be optimized in doping and thickness, in order to reduce the internal losses for the third-order mode.