Injection lasers with vertically aligned InP/GaInP quantum dots: Dependence of the threshold current on temperature and dot size

We report on threefold-stacked vertically aligned InP/GaInP quantum dot injection lasers emitting in the visible part of the spectrum (690-705 nm) with a low threshold current density of j(th) = 172 A/cm(2) at 90 K showing a thermally activated increase towards higher temperatures. We derived an activation energy for this behavior, which is found to be just one half of the energetic distance between the dot transition energy and the wetting layer band gap. Thus, we identify thermal evaporation of carriers out of the dots and into the wetting layer states: as the process responsible for the increase in the threshold current. The nonradiative carrier lifetime in the wetting layer (tau(nr)(WL)) is estimated to be approximately 250-400 ps. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(98)02851-4].