High-power and low-threshold-current operation of 1.3 μm strain-compensated AlGaInAs/AlGaInAs multiple-quantum-well laser diodes

Abstract

Low-threshold-current and high-temperature operation of 1.3 μm wavelength AlGaInAs/AlGaInAs strain-compensated multiple-quantum-well laser diodes (LDs) with a linearly graded index separate confinement heterostructure also made up of AlGaInAs has been successfully fabricated. The threshold current density and differential quantum efficiency are 400 A/cm 2 and 22% for the as-cleaved broad-area LDs with a 900 μm cavity length, respectively. The calculated internal quantum efficiency, internal optical loss, and threshold gain are 23%, 6.5 cm −1, and 45 cm −1, respectively. The threshold current and slope efficiency at room temperature for the 3 μm-ridge-stripe LDs without facet coating are 12 mA and 0.17 W/A, respectively. The peak wavelength is at 1295 nm with an injection current of 60 mA. With increasing the temperature up to 100 °C, the threshold current will increase up to 41 mA. The characteristic temperature is around 78 K in the range from 20 to 60 °C and 56 K in the range from 60 to 100 °C. The wavelength swing varied with temperature is 0.43 nm/°C for the LDs operated at 60 mA and room temperature.