HIGH-PERFORMANCE ALGAAS-BASED LASER-DIODES - FABRICATION, CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATIONS

Data are presented on high performance AlGaAs/GaAs and InGaAs/AlGaAs q uantum well laser diodes fabricated by low temperature liquid phase me sa melt-etching and regrowth. The base laser structures were grown eit her by molecular beam epitaxy or metal-organic vapour phase epitaxy MO VPE. Native oxides were used as a mask in the melt-etching and regrowt h processes. Cylindrical microlenses were used ibr obtaining equal div ergence angles in both planes, perpendicular and parallel to the activ e layer plane at more than 1 W of continuous wave operation optical po wer. Characterization of mirror catastrophical degradation oi single m ode laser diodes using traditional electrooptical parameters as well a s the parameters of internal second-harmonic generation and measuremen ts of excess mirror temperature were performed. The thermal resistance , active layer mirror temperature and spectral width have been determi ned as well. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd.