Title :
The effect of high compressive strain on the operation of AlGaInP quantum-well lasers
Author :
Mogensen, Paul C. ; Hall, Stephen A. ; Smowton, Peter M. ; Bangert, U. ; Blood, Peter ; Dawson, P.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys. & Astron., Univ. of Wales, Cardiff, UK
fDate :
9/1/1998 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
In this paper we describe the properties of GaxIn1-xP-(AlyGa1-y) 0.52In0.48P strained quantum-well (QW) lasers at compressive strains of greater than 1%. Structures containing single 100-Å GaxIn1-xP QW´s of different compositions have been grown by low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) with the intention of studying the physical mechanisms which inhibit the operation of strained lasers at high values of compressive strain. In these lasers, we observe a monotonic increase in threshold current with increasing strain between 1% and 1.7%. We show that the increase in threshold current can be attributed to increased optical losses and we measure an increase in the optical mode loss from 10 to 45 cm-1 with increasing strain. Using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we are able to link the increased optical losses at high strain with a strain-induced growth nonuniformity in the active region of the device similar to the Stranski-Krastanov growth mode, which results in the formation of islands in the active region on a 100-nm-length scale
Keywords :
III-V semiconductors; aluminium compounds; gallium compounds; indium compounds; laser modes; optical losses; quantum well lasers; semiconductor growth; vapour phase epitaxial growth; 100 A; AlGaInP; AlGaInP quantum-well laser effects; GaxIn1-xP-(AlyGa1-y) 0.52In0.48P strained QW lasers; GaInP-AlGaInP; MOCVD; Stranski-Krastanov growth mode; TEM; active region; compressive strain; compressive strains; high compressive strain; increased optical losses; low-pressure metal organic chemical vapor deposition; optical mode loss; physical mechanisms; strain-induced growth nonuniformity; strained lasers; threshold current; transmission electron microscopy; Capacitive sensors; Chemical lasers; Electron optics; Laser modes; Laser theory; Optical losses; Optical microscopy; Quantum well lasers; Strain measurement; Threshold current;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of