Dependence of optical gain on crystal orientation in wurtzite-GaN strained quantum-well lasers

Optical gains in wurtzite-GaN strained quantum-well (QW) lasers are estimated theoretically for various crystallographic directions. The calculation of the valence subbands is based on the k.p theory, where deformation potentials are determined by a semiempirical tight-binding method. It is found that the gains in GaN strained QW lasers with non-(0001) orientations, particularly around the (10 (1) over bar 5) orientation, are markedly high and anisotropic, unlike those in (0001)-oriented lasers. (C) 1997 American Institute of Physics.