EFFECTS OF CARRIER TRANSPORT ON INJECTION EFFICIENCY AND WAVELENGTH CHIRPING IN QUANTUM-WELL LASERS

Using the steady-state solution to the carrier transport rate equation model for the quantum-well laser that we had previously proposed, we derive analytic expressions for the laser internal efficiency, carrier injection efficiency, and wavelength chirping under current modulation, and show that the various carrier transport times can have a significant effect on these quantities. We present experimental data and theoretical calculations that clearly demonstrate that as in the case of device optimization for high speed operation, one has to minimize the transport time across the optical and current confinement regions and maximize the escape time out of the quantum-well active region, to maximize the internal and the injection efficiencies, and minimize the wavelength chirping.