Gain Spectra Measurement of Strained and Strain-Compensated InGaAsP/AlGaAs Laser Structures for λ = 800 nm

Published in:
IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron., vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 631-636 (1999).
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Abstract:
InGaAsP single quantum wells (QW's) for wavelengths around 800 nm embedded in AlGaAs large optical-cavity waveguide structures are investigated by measuring modal gain spectra and broad-area (BA) laser parameters. The modal netgain spectra are determined by the variable stripe-length method using current injection. Thick (18 nm) and nearly unstrained QW's show gain spectra without resolved subband structures. The modal gain in TE-polarization is twice as high as in TM-polarization. For thinner (13 nm) compressively strained (0.6%) QW's, the modal gain in TM-polarization and the transparency current density are lowered. For highly strained (1%) QW's, strain compensation by tensily strained GaAsP barriers improves the device performance. BA lasers with 5-nm-thick QW's with strain compensation show a 10% higher differential efficiency in comparison to structures without strain compensation.

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