HIGH-EFFICIENCY AND LOW-THRESHOLD CURRENT STRAINED V-GROOVE QUANTUM-WIRE LASERS

Multi-quantum-wire strained lasers are reported in the Ga1-xInxAs/Ga1-xAlxAs semiconductor material system with a minimum threshold current of 188 muA and maximum powers of almost-equal-to 50 muW in continuous multimode operation at wavelengths of almost-equal-to 980 nm and differential output of almost-equal-to 0.5 muW/muA. The structures, fabricated by molecular-beam epitaxy, are self-aligned, self-isolated, and minimize electrical and optical losses. Internal quantum efficiencies are almost-equal-to 83% and internal losses are almost-equal-to 4.2 cm-1. Characteristic temperatures of almost-equal-to 260 K, and an increase in threshold current and lasing wavelength under externally applied stress changing from compressive to tensile conditions, show that the major determinants of lasing threshold are density of states and optical losses.