1.3-μm InGaAsP planar buried heterostructure laser diodes with AlInAs electron stopper layer

• Published in: Optics and laser technology Vol. 44; no. 4; pp. 1026 - 1030
• Main Authors: Tsai, Chia-Lung, Yen, Chih-Ta, Chou, Cheng-Yi, Chang, S.J., Wu, Meng-Chyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Damping; Density; Electron stopper layer; Gain; Heterojunctions; InGaAsP BH LDs; Iron; Laser diodes; Lasers; Optical fiber communications; Threshold currents; Electron stopper layer; InGaAsP BH LDs; Optical fiber communications
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2011.10.015

This study reports on the realization of 1.3-μm InGaAsP buried-heterostructure (BH) laser diodes (LDs) via an Fe-doped semi-insulating InP layer and an AlInAs electron stopper layer (ESL). Experimentally, the as-cleaved BH LD with an AlInAs ESL exhibited improved characteristics in terms of threshold current, slope efficiency, and maximum light output power at 90 °C as compared to those of the normal BH LD without an AlInAs ESL. In addition, high internal quantum efficiency or reduced threshold current density was observed, indicating increased modal gain in BH LDs fabricated with an AlInAs epilayer on top of the active region. It was also found that the temperature sensitivity of the BH LDs with an AlInAs ESL is more stable than that of the normal BH LDs. These results could be attributed to the suppression of thermal carrier leakage out of strain-compensated multiple-quantum-well by a large conduction-band offset of the AlInAs/InGaAsP heterojunction. Otherwise, without consideration of damping factor or coupling loss, the 3-dB bandwidth of the proposed BH LDs reaches a high value of 15.3 GHz. Finally, this TO-can packaged BH LD shows an eye-opening feature with the extinction ratio of 7.49 dB while operating at 10 Gbit/s at 50 mA. ► We report on the realization of 1.3-μm InGaAsP BH LDs. ► The BH LDs with an AlInAs electron stopper layer (ESL) have high modal gain ( Γg 0). ► The proposed BH LDs also exhibit improved device performance than the normal ones. ► The reason for that could be attributed to reduced carrier leakage by AlInAs ESL. ► The TO-can packaged BH LDs have potential for use in high-speed data communication.