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Lasers
Quantum well lasers
Advanced lasers: Quantum dot lasers
Next time: Advanced lasers
QCLs
Single mode lasers
DFB lasers
VCSELs
Lateral confinement
reduce the lateral dimension of the Fabry-Perot cavity
(1) Stripe geometry (Gain-guided cavity)
(2) Buried heterostructures
Diagram showing the alloy composition through the layer structure of a two-well,
separate confinement (AlyGa1y)In1xP quantum well laser. The vertical distance axis is
not to scale: the wells are each about 6.5 nm wide, the y=0.5 waveguide core is about
200 nm thick, and the cladding layers are each about 1 m thick.
Transverse modes
Vertical confinement
Graded Index Separate Confinement Heterostructure
(GRINSCH) Laser
GRINSCH Laser
Lateral confinement
Efficient operation of a laser diode requires
reducing the # of lateral modes,
stabilizing the gain for lateral modes as well as
lowering the threshold current.
These are met by structures that confine the optical wave, carrier
concentration and current flow in the lateral direction.
Important types of laser diodes are: gain-guided, positive index
guided, and negative index guided.
Stripe electrode
Oxide insulator
p -GaAs (Contacting layer)
p -Al x Ga 1-x As (Confining layer)
p -GaAs (Active layer)
n -Al x Ga 1-x As (Confining layer)
n -GaAs (Substrate)
2
1
Current
paths
Substrate
Elliptical
laser
beam
Substrate
Electrode
J > J t h.
Optoelectronics
(Prentice Hall)
Ridge laser
Oxide insulation
+
p -AlGaAs (Contacting layer)
p -AlGaAs (Confining layer)
n- AlGaAs
p -GaAs (Active layer)
n -AlGaAs (Confining layer)
n -GaAs (Substrate)
Optoelectronics
(Prentice Hall)
Active layer is surrounded by lower index AlGaAs and behaves like a dielectric
waveguide
Ensures that photons are confined to the active or optical gain region
Increases rate of stimulated emission
Po (mW)
10
0 C
25 C
50 C
6
4
2
I (mA)
0
20
40
60
80
Output optical power vs. diode current as three different temperatures. The
threshold current shifts to higher temperatures.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)
Single mode
788
(a)
Single mode
(b)
(c)
786
o
(nm)
Multimode
784
782
780
Mode hopping
778
776
20
30
50 20
40
Case temperature ( C)
30
50 20
40
Case temperature ( C)
30
40
50
Case temperature ( C)
Peak wavelength vs. case temperature characteristics. (a) Mode hops in the output
spectrum of a single mode LD. (b) Restricted mode hops and none over the temperature
range of interest (20 - 40 C). (c) Output spectrum from a multimode LD.
1999 S.O. Kasap, Optoelectronics (Prentice Hall)
Areal density:
( E ) ( E Ei )
Ei
Aligned
array of
GaN QDs in
AlN
Small volume:
low power high frequency operation
large modulation bandwidth
An ideal QDL consists of a 3D-array of dots with equal size and shape
Surrounded by a higher band-gap material
confines the injected carriers.
http://qdlaser.com/
Electrical control
Electric field applied can change physical properties of QDs
Carriers can be injected to create light emission
http://qdlaser.com/
Bottlenecks
First, the lack of uniformity.
Quantum Dots density is
insufficient
the lack of correlation
between QDs
FWHM = 20-30 meV
Singledot
EnsembleofQDs
Breakthroughs
Fujitsu
TemperatureIndependentQDlaser
2004
Breakthroughs
InP instead of GaAs
Optics
Datacom network
Telecom network
QD Lasers
Promising properties
High speed
quantum dot lasers
Advantages
Datacom
Short
Low
application
Rate of 10Gb/s
optical pulses
Narrow spectral width
Broad gain spectrum
Very low factor-low chirp
emission wavelength
Wide temperature range
Used for data transmission
Promising properties
High power
Advantages
Quantum Dot lasers
QD lasers for
Coolerless Pump
Sources
Size
reduced
quantum dot
Small
wave length
shift
Temperature
insensitivity
Future Directions
Widening parameters
range
to
using
by
Combination of QD
lasers and QW lasers
Reduce inhomogeneous
linewidth broadening
Surface Preparation
Technology
In term of