Ground state lasing from a quantum-dot oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser

Data are presented on the room-temperature, continuous-wave ground state la sing characteristics from a quantum dot vertical-cavity surface-emitting la ser. A threshold current of 703 mu A is obtained for a 10-mu m-diameter oxi de aperture using a three-stack active region, with the lasing wavelength o f similar to 1.06 mu m. Lasing is obtained for apertures as small as 2 mu m square with threshold current of 268 mu A. The threshold conditions are di scussed with an emphasis on the spontaneous and stimulated decay rates due to resonant excitation. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951 (99)05127-X].