Self-consistent simulation on the modal gain of graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure quantum-well lasers

Abstract

The effective guide index directly causes the mutual influences in determining the complex refractive index of quantum well and the complex propagation constant of a guided mode. In this paper, self-consistent model (SCM) working on both density matrix theory and transfer matrix method is applied to investigate the modal gain of AlGaAs/GaAs graded-index separate-confinement-heterostructure single quantum-well (GRIN-SCH-SQW) lasers. Based on SCM, the simulated modal gain spectrum shows good agreement with the experimental result. Although varying with the thickness of SCH region or aluminum mole fraction, the percentage change of optical gain is much smaller than that of optical confinement factor. On the other hand, thin well width of QW results in a relative high optical gain but poor optical field confinement. Such opposing effects tend to balance each other and cause the modal gain almost insensitive to the well width change before 60 A. Further increase of well thickness, the percentage change of optical gain is obviously larger than that of optical confinement factor. Therefore the optical gain becomes the dominant parameter that directly decreases the magnitude of modal gain.