SIMULATION OF MIDINFRARED HGTE CDTE QUANTUM-WELL VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASERS/

We theoretically show the feasibility of optically and electrically pu mped Hg-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) that em it at midwave-infrared wavelengths up to thermoelectric cooler tempera tures. The maximum operating temperature is significantly enhanced by employing a multiple quantum-well active region with very thin (20-30 Angstrom) HgTe wells engineered to yield a strong suppression of both Auger recombination and intervalence foe-carrier absorption. Hg0.65Cd0 .35Te/Hg0.1Cd0.9Te distributed Bragg reflectors are employed for one o r both of the mirrors defining the optical cavity. Detailed numerical simulations of VCSELs emitting at lambda approximate to 4.3 mu m predi ct that for optical pumping at 1.06 mu m, a maximum operating temperat ure of 220 K should be achievable for pulsed operation and 160 K in cw mode, with a cw power output of up to 2.6 mW per array element at 100 K. Injection VCSELs are predicted to operate up to 200 K for pulsed o peration and 105 K for quasi-cw with a 10% duty cycle. (C) 1998 Americ an Institute of Physics.