EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF PHYSICAL-MECHANISMS UNDERLYING LATERAL CURRENT INJECTION-LASER OPERATION

By comparing theoretical prediction with experimental performance, we gain insight into the physical operation of lateral current injection lasers. By studying the temperature dependence of lasing stimulated ef ficiency, we demonstrate the influence of lateral heterobarriers (achi eved in this experiment by quantum well intermixing) on the confinemen t of carriers to the active region. By comparing the evolution of thre shold current with temperature for devices of differing contact separa tions with a self-consistent model of lateral current injection laser operation, we reveal the importance of the interplay between the later al material gain profile and the optical mode. Understanding these mec hanisms, unique to the lateral injection family of lasers, is key to r ealizing the tremendous potential of this class of lasers to enable op toelectronic integration and novel functional devices. (C) 1998 Americ an Institute of Physics.