Mid-infrared w quantum-well lasers for noncryogenic continuous-wave operation

• Published in: Applied optics (2004) Vol. 40; no. 6; p. 806
• Main Authors: Felix, C L, Bewley, W W, Vurgaftman, I, Bartolo, R E, Stokes, D W, Meyer, J R, Yang, M J, Lee, H, Menna, R J, Martinelli, R U, Garbuzov, D Z, Connolly, J C, Maiorov, M, Sugg, A R, Olsen, G H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 20.02.2001
• ISSN: 1559-128X
• DOI: 10.1364/AO.40.000806

We review the recent progress of electrically injected and optically pumped mid-IR lasers based on antimonide quantum wells with the type II W configuration. W quantum-well diodes have achieved cw operation up to 195 K at lambda = 3.25 mum. Optically pumped devices that employ the diamond pressure bond heat sink have reached 290 K at 3 mum and 210 K at 6 mum. Pulsed power conversion efficiencies of up to 7% at 220 K have been attained by use of an optical pumping injection cavity approach, in which an etalon cavity for the pump beam significantly enhances its absorptance. The angled-grating distributed-feedback configuration has been used to obtain near-diffraction-limited output for an optical pumping stripe width of 50 mum.