DEGRADATION BEHAVIOR OF 0.98-MU-M STRAINED-QUANTUM-WELL INGAAS/ALGAAS LASERS UNDER HIGH-POWER OPERATION

The degradation behavior of 0.98-mum strained quantum well (QW) InGaAs/AlGaAs lasers with facet coating films is systematically clarified at high-power operations of more than 100 mW/facet. The degradation is mainly caused by the instability of the interface between the laser material (facet) and the antireflecting (AR) coating film. This phenomenon is associated with a high rate of facet oxidation and generation of instantaneous catastrophic optical damage (COD) at a relatively low optical output power in lasers without facet coating films. Throughout the clarification of those phenomena, the main reliability problem in 0.98-mum strained QW lasers under high output power operation is clarified.