NATIVE-OXIDE COUPLED-STRIPE ALYGA1-YAS-GAAS-INXGA1-XAS QUANTUM-WELL HETEROSTRUCTURE LASERS

Data are presented on a high-performance native-oxide coupled-stripe AlyGa1-yAs-GaAs-InxGa1-xAs quantum well heterostructure laser realized by the recently introduced simple process of "wet" oxidation (H2O vapor + N2 greater-than-or-similar-to 400-degrees-C, 3h) of the upper AlyGa1-yAs confining layer. If the native oxide between active stripes (ten 5-mu-m stripes on 10-mu-m centers) is brought into closer proximity with the waveguide and quantum well region (i.e., from 0.53 to 0.4-mu-m),the 10-stripe laser operates decoupled because of increased (coupling) absorption losses and some index guiding.