REACTIVE-ION-ETCHED DIFFRACTION-LIMITED UNSTABLE RESONATOR SEMICONDUCTOR-LASERS

We present characterization and analysis of wide-stripe unstable reson ator semiconductor lasers with reactive-ion-etched facets. The mirror facets have rms roughnesses of only 3-5 nm. Laser beam quality and bri ghtness performance are measured in terms of resonator structure and f abrication parameters. Lateral M(2) values as low as 1.25 at five time s threshold are found, This data is compared to that derived from a Hu ygen's integral-beam propagation method simulation which includes appr opriate physical and process-induced aberrations, and good agreement i s found.