GaInNAsSb for 1.3-1.6-μm-long wavelength lasers grown by molecular beam epitaxy

High-efficiency optical emission past 1.3 mum of GaInNAs on GaAs, with an ultimate goal of a high-power 1.55-mum vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), has proven to be elusive. While GaInNAs could theoretically be grown lattice-matched to GaAs with a very small bandgap [1], wavelengths are actually limited by the N solubility limit and the high In strain limit. By adding Sb to the GaInNAs quaternary, we have observed a remarkable shift toward longer luminescent wavelengths while maintaining high intensity. The increase in strain of these new alloys necessitates the use of tensile strain compensating GaNAs barriers around quantum-well (QW) structures. With the incorporation of Sb and using In concentrations as high as 40%, high-intensity photoluminescence (PL) was observed as long as 1.6 mum. PL at 1.5 mum was measured with peak intensity over 50% of the best 1.3 mum GaInNAs samples grown. Three QW GaIn-NAsSb in-plane lasers were fabricated with room-temperature pulsed operation out to 1.49 mum.