Temperature insensitive quantum dot lasers: are we really there yet?

Abstract

Twenty five years ago Arakawa suggested that by confining carriers in three dimensions (in quantum dots) a temperature insensitive threshold current (I-th) could be achieved in semiconductor lasers. In this paper we discuss investigations on state-of-the-art 1.3 mu m InAs/GaAs undoped and p-doped quantum dot lasers for telecommunication applications and discuss the extent to which this original hypothesis has been verified. In this study, the threshold current and its radiative component (I-rad) are measured as a function of temperature and pressure. The results show that although the radiative component of the threshold current can be temperature insensitive in undoped quantum dot lasers, a strong contribution from non-radiative Auger recombination makes the threshold current highly temperature sensitive. We find that p-doped devices can have a temperature insensitive I-th over a limited range around room temperature resulting from an interplay between an increasing non-radiative Auger current and decreasing radiative current. The decrease in I-rad, also observed below 200 K in undoped devices, is attributed to an improvement in the carrier transport with increasing temperature. Gain measurements show that even if p-doping is successful in reducing the effect of gain saturation, the modal net gain of p-doped devices is less than in undoped lasers due to increased non-radiative recombination and non-thermal carrier distribution.