LOW-THRESHOLD PBEUSETE PBTE SEPARATE-CONFINEMENT BURIED HETEROSTRUCTURE DIODE-LASERS/

Continuous wave (cw) operating temperature of 223 K was achieved with molecular beam epitaxy grown separate confinement buried heterostructu re (SCBH) PbTe diode lasers with PbEuSeTe electrical and optical confi nement layers. This is the highest cw operating temperature reported f or midinfrared diode lasers. The active region of the SCBH diode laser s varies laterally to form a crescent-shaped waveguide with a maximum thickness of 0.15 mu m and a lateral width of 2 mu m. Exceptionally lo w threshold currents of 102 mA at 200 K, 166 mA at 210 K, and 249 mA a t 215 It were measured. (C) 1996 American Institute of Pysics.