Laser III

Device Design &

Materials Selection
EBB424E
Dr Zainovia Lockman

Laser 3- Lecture Layout

By the end of the course you would be
able to answer the following questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

What is homojunction laser?

What is heterojunction laser?
Explain the principles of heterojunction laser.
Sketch a typical stripe geometry laser diodes.
What is quantum well laser?

Introduction
In the pervious lectures you have been explain
about two important conditions for designing laser:

1.

Optical Gain
Medium which possess the desired energy level
structure to support laser action in the case of diode
laser this will be the active region of the p-n
junction
To establish a population inversion in a laser system
the forward bias current supplied to the diode laser.

2. Optical Feedback

Homojunction laser with one end cleaved and the other

roughned.
This is to achieve the optical feedback
(optical gain) of the laser system. Such system is often
termed Fabry-Perot Cavity.

Threshold Current Density

Consider a diagram showing the active region and mode volume of a semiconducting laser:

p
n

Mode volume,
thickness, d
Active region,
thickness, t

Recall that when forward biased, with eV > Eg of the material, electrons (from degenerately
doped n) and holes (from degenerately doped p) will be injected across the junction to
create population inversion.
The population inversion is created in a region called active region. Radiative transition
may occur resulted in stimulated emission when the photon is absorbed by the electrons in
the conduction band.
The radiation generated will be spread out in the vicinity of the active region and is almost
confined in the thin layer shown above (mode volume).

Schematic construction of a homojunction GaAs diode laser.

Metal contact (+)
Cleaved end (110)
Natural crystal planes of the junction
so that the end faces are parallel

p+ GaAs
n+ GaAs
Roughened
end

The laser beam output

Junction (active region and mode volume)
Metal contact (-)

The carriers in the active region increases refractive index of GaAs

The refractive index increment is only ~0.02, hence is not a good dielectric waveguide
The beam therefore can be spread out to the surrounding region mode volume
Vigorous pumping is therefore needed to enhance lasing
The threshold current for the pumping action exceeds 400Amm-2

Threshold Current Density

Definition

If the injected carrier concentration become large enough, the

stimulated emission can exceed absorption so optical gain can
be achieved in the active region. With appropriate configuration
to achieve optical feedback, laser oscillation occurs when gain
exceeds losses.
For significant gain, a high current density is necessary.
The onset of lasing is characterised by the a specific injection
current known as the Threshold Current
Since the simple homojunction laser has high threshold current,
it is considered not efficient.
The onset of laser action at the threshold current density is
indicated by an abrupt increase in radiance of the emitting
region, leading to marked decrease in spectral width.

Threshold Current Density

The typical output spectrum
Optical power

Optica
l
Power

Stimulated
Emission

Spontaneou
s Emission

Optical
power

LED

JTH

laser

In conclusion about the

homojunction laser.

The main problem with the homojunction laser diode is that the threshold
current density, Jth is far too high for practical applications.
JTH increases with temperature, too high at room temperature, not
continuous but pulsed laser output.
Homojunction laser has:

If Jth is low: improve rate of stimulated emission & improve efficiency of

optical cavity
To get low Jth:

Poor optical
Less carrier confinement

Confined carriers in a narrow region carrier confinement

Build dielectric waveguide around the optical gain region (increase photon
concentration hence stimulated emission) photon confinement

How do we achieve that?

heterostructured laser diodes

The Heterojunction Laser

Single & Double
Metal
contact
(+)

GaAs sandwiched
between the higher
band gap AlGaAs

n GaAlAs
1m

p GaAs
p GaAlAs

N GaAs
n GaAlAs
p GaAs
P GaAlAs

Metal
contact
(-)
N-p-P

GaAs sandwiched
between the higher
band gap AlGaAs.
GaAs is the active
region where lasing

N-n-p-P

Homojunction laser
(a)

AlGaAs

GaAs

AlGaAs

(a)Adouble
heterostructurediodehas
twojunctionswhichare
betweentwodifferent
bandgapsemiconductors
(GaAsandAlGaAs).

(~0.1m)
ElectronsinCB

Ec

Ec

1.4eV

2eV

(b)
HolesinVB

(c)

Photon
density

2eV

Ev

Ev

Refractive
index

Ec

Active
region

n~5%

(d)

1999S.O.Kasap,Optoelectronics (PrenticeHall)

(b)Simplifiedenergy
banddiagramundera
largeforwardbias.
Lasingrecombination
takesplaceinthep
GaAslayer,the
activelayer
(c)Higherbandgap
materialshavea
lowerrefractive
index
(d)AlGaAslayers
providelateraloptical
confinement.

Carriers & Photons

Confinement
N-Ga1-xAlxAs|p-GaAs|P-Ga1-xAlxAs
N |ACTIVE LAYER|P
GaAs and GaAlAs:

1.

Have different refractive index

2.

Have different Eg

nGaAlAs < nGaAs

Eg (GaAlAs) > Eg(GaAs)

Band gap difference forms barriers for e and h to diffuse from GaAs to the
sandwich layers of GaAlAs CARRIER CONFINEMENT
Step difference in the refractive index waveguide (Optical/Photons
Confienment)
Eg (GaAlAs) > Eg(GaAs) Photons produced in GaAs will not be absorbed
by GaAlAs.

Stripe Geometry DHJ

Laser

Features:

Oxide layer or high resistive layer (produced by

proton bombardment) between metal contact and
the semiconductor.
Restrict current along the junction into narrow
stripe (few microns)
Small JTH with high Power continuous operation
Used largely in Optical Fibre Communication

The configuration is shown to you in Wilson

page 217 for DHJ with oxide that isolate the
metal contact to the GaInAsP (figure 2.17)

Double Heterojunction
StrpeLaser Diode
Cleavedreflectingsurface
W

Stripeelectrode
Oxideinsulator
pGaAs(Contactinglayer)
pAlxGa1xAs(Confininglayer)

pGaAs(Activelayer)
nAlxGa1xAs(Confininglayer)
nGaAs(Substrate)

Elliptical
laser
beam

2
1
Current
paths
Substrate

Substrate
Electrode

Cleavedreflectingsurface
ActiveregionwhereJ>Jth.
(Emissionregion)

Schematicillustrationofthethestructureofadoubleheterojunctionstripe
contactlaserdiode
1999S.O.Kasap,Optoelectronics (PrenticeHall)

Materials Criteria &

Selection

To date GaAs and GaAlAs are largely used.

Advantages of AlGaAs/GaAs system is that:
1.
2.
3.
4.

GaAs is direct band gap material

Ga1-xAlxAs is direct when x < 0.45
Lattice match between Ga1-xAlxAs & GaAs is very small
(0.1%) therefore epi growth can be achieved
The band gaps of both materials can be manipulated
to produce SH or DH junctions lasers for high optical
and carrier confinemnts

For optical fibre communication, wavelength of

1.1-1.6m is preferred.
Refer to Wilson page 216 (figure 5.33) or see
the next slide

Typical Exam Question on

GaAs/GaAlAs

Eg(x) = 1.424 + 1.247x (eV) Empirical

relationship
Calculate the band gap if GaAlAs is to be
used as emitter for fibre optics communication
at wavelength 1.4m.
Calculate compositions of the GaAlAs ternary

Band Gap Engineering

To answer: What other system can

be used?

Quantum Well Lasers

Structure similar to the DH laser except thickness of active layer is very small (1020nm)
E.g. narrow Eg GaAs sandwich between larger band gap GaAlAs
With this configuration, density of states near the bottom of the conduction band and
the top of the valance band increased significantly the hence enhance the
population inversion
Better population inversion, smaller active layer hence JTh is smaller.
BUT, in single quantum well (SQW) extreme narrowness of the active region created
poor optical confinement.
So Solve by Multiple Quantum Well Structure (MQW)
SQW can be coupled to produce the MQW
Overall active region is now thicker
Carriers which are not captured in one well can be captured by the second well etc.
MQW has JTH higher than SQW (~ 1mA) but the more optical power due to better
optical confinement

Cladding Layer and Separate

Confinement Heterostructure

Preparation for
Next week
(Monday)
Test on Laser and LED