Evidence for Auger and free-carrier losses in GaInAsP/InP lasers: Spectroscopy of a short wavelength emission

Abstract

We report the observation of two high-energy emission bands near 1.31 eV in Ga0.29In0.71As0.61P0.39 /InP laser diodes. One emission band is associated with recombination in the InP due to carrier leakage from the active layer. A second, more important emission band with an energy close to E0+Δ0 is associated with recombination of holes in the split-off valence band and electrons in the conduction band. The split-off valence band is significantly populated by Auger recombination and intervalence band absorption. From the dependence of the integrated E0+Δ0 luminescence intensity on injection current (below threshold) we determine an Auger coefficient for holes of C≂5×10−29 cm6 s−1 at T=300 K.