STRAINED QUATERNARY QUANTUM-WELL LASERS FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE OPERATION

We describe compressively strained separate confinement heterostructure 1.3 mum quantum well lasers optimized for high temperature operation. The active layer consists of ten GaInAsP wells, each 40-80 angstrom thick, grown under compressive lattice mismatch strain of DELTAa/a less-than-or-equal-to 0.75%. Within the constraints of the well composition and thickness imposed on the active region, strain is necessary for efficient laser operation. Best results are obtained for DELTAa/a approximately 0.2%-0.3% with the laser threshold as low as 5 mA and slope efficiency of 42 mW/mA. In the temperature range of 25-85-degrees-C a slope efficiency change as small as 30% was achieved. Power output of at least 20 mW can be maintained up to 100-degrees-C at a current drive below 150 mA.