Room-temperature 2.63 mu m GaInAsSb/GaSb strained quantum-well laser diodes

Diode lasers operating at room temperature (23 degrees C) with an emission wavelength of 2.63 mu m have been fabricated from compressively strained Ga 0.50In0.50As0.22Sb0.78/GaSb multiple-quantum-well structures grown by molec ular beam epitaxy. Ridge waveguide lasers 600 mu m long exhibited an RT cur rent threshold of 500 mA, optical power efficiency of 35 mW A(-1)/facet and a differential quantum efficiency of 14.5%, A pulsed threshold current den sity less than 2 kA cm(-2) with a characteristic temperature T-0 = 45 K hav e been achieved for broad mesa devices. The laser structure, which has a ty pe-II band alignment at the well-barrier interface, showed an internal effi ciency eta(i) = 33%, controlled by the electron-hole wavefunction overlap a t the interface.