NATIVE-OXIDE COUPLED-CAVITY ALXGA1-XAS-GAAS QUANTUM-WELL HETEROSTRUCTURE LASER-DIODES

Data are presented demonstrating AlxGa1-xAs-GaAs quantum well heterostructure laser diodes consisting of an array of coupled cavities (19-mu-m long on 22-mu-m centers, approximately 250-mu-m total length) arranged lengthwise in single 10-mu-m-wide laser stripes. The cavities are defined by a native oxide formed from a significant portion of the high-gap AlxGa1-xAs upper confining layer. The native oxide (grown at 425-degrees-C in H2O vapor + N2 carrier gas) confines the injected carriers and optical field within the cavities, resulting in reflection and optical feedback distributed periodically along the laser stripe. These diodes exhibit single-longitudinal-mode operation over an extended range (relative to similar diodes fabricated without multiple cavities). At high current injection levels, longitudinal-mode spectra demonstrate unambiguously oscillation from the internal coupled cavities.