OPTICALLY PUMPED LASER ACTION IN DOUBLE-HETEROSTRUCTURE HGCDTE GROWN BY METALORGANIC CHEMICAL-VAPOR-DEPOSITION ON A CDTE SUBSTRATE

Photopumped laser action in a HgCdTe double-heterostructure grown by m etalorganic chemical vapor deposition on a CdTe substrate containing ( 311)- and (211)-oriented grains was studied. The (311)-oriented device exhibited laser action around lambda = 4 mum with a threshold power i ncreasing exponentially from 56 mW at T = 12 K to 2.8 W at the highest lasing temperature of 90 K. The (211)-oriented laser device emitted a round 2.5 mum. The threshold power of the (211) device was much higher than that of the (311) one (1.5 W at 12 K) and increased with tempera ture at a lower rate to 4.8 W at the highest lasing temperature of 110 K. Front illumination photoluminescence from both active and cladding layers of the (311)-oriented heterostructure was studied as a functio n of temperature.