PHOTOPUMPED INFRARED VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASER

The feasibility of a photopumped infrared vertical-cavity surface-emit ting laser (VCSEL) based on CdHgTe alloys is demonstrated. The structu re of the VCSEL consists of a 16.5-period Cd0.4Hg0.6Te/Cd0.75Hg0.25Te bottom Bragg reflector and a 3 lambda/4 thick Cd(0.75)HE(0.25)Te cavit y, containing a 100-nm-thick well, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, Th e top mirror is a 7-period YF3/ZnS dielectric stack. The cavity qualit y factor is Q=350. This heterostructure VCSEL operates at 3.06 mu m wi th a measured power density threshold of 45 kW/cm(2) at 10 K. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.