SELF-PULSING OXIDE-CONFINED VERTICAL-CAVITY LASERS WITH ULTRALOW OPERATING CURRENT

Selectively oxidised vertical-cavity lasers which exhibit self-pulsati ng lasing at currents as low as 470 nA are reported. Characteristics i ncluding linearly polarised emission, narrow linewidths and coherent n ear- and far-field diffraction indicate that these devices operate as lasers at DC currents < 1 mu A. Although self-pulsating lasing initiat es at submicroampere average current, the injection current during the optical pulse can be > 1 mA.