The optical gain and radiative current density of GaInNAs/GaAs/AlGaAs separate confinement heterostructure quantum well lasers

Abstract

The optical gain and radiative current density of GaInNAs/GaAs/AlGaAs separate confinement heterostructure quantum well (QW) lasers with an emission wavelength of 1.3 μm have been theoretically investigated. The effect of carrier leakage from the GaInNAs QW to the GaAs waveguide layer is studied, and its influence on the optical gain and radiative current density is identified. The hole filling caused by an injected carrier has a strong impact on the optical gain and radiative current density, while the effect of electron filling is negligible, reflecting the smaller band-gap discontinuity in the valence band than in the conduction band. Hole occupation in the waveguide layer decreases the optical gain, and increases the radiative and threshold current densities of the laser. Our calculated threshold current density (659.6 A/cm2) at T=300 K is in good agreement with the experimental value (650.9 A/cm2) reported in literature [R. Fehse et al., IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron. 8, 801 (2002)].