Theory of thermal behavior of laser operation in In0.53Ga0.47As

Abstract

A theory is given of thermal behavior of laser operation in In0.53Ga0.47As through rigorous calculation of laser parameters concerning the intervalence-band absorption, the Auger recombination, the radiative recombination, and the gain. The theory is based on a realistic band model, where anisotropic nonparabolic bands are considered. We use the Green’s function formalism, into which a phonon scattering effect is incorporated in order to take into account the electronic level broadening from the first principle. Experimental results on the laser parameters are well explained by the present theory. It is found that strong temperature dependences of the threshold currents and the differential quantum efficiencies, which are observed especially above room temperature, can be explained neither by the intervalence-band absorption nor the Auger recombination. Some possible models are proposed as alternatives to the previous theory based on the intervalence-band absorption.