Reliable 100-mW strained-layer ridge waveguide lasers

Summary form only given. Reliable operation of InGaAs quantum-well strained-layer single-mode ridge waveguide lasers at 100 mW has been achieved. A separate-confinement, In_0.2Ga_0.8As single-quantum-well heterostructure was grown by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The lasers operate in the fundamental transverse mode to 100 mW, and in higher order modes to a maximum output power of 300 mW, where thermal rollover occurs. Nine lasers were aged at 25°C for 1000 h at constant current corresponding initially to a power of 100 mW. After aging, the current required to obtain 100 mW increased by 3% on average. The median lifetime for these lasers is estimated to be 40000 h