Inverted-ridge-waveguide double-heterostructure injection laser with current and lateral optical confinement

Abstract

Epitaxialgrowth over chemically etched channels is used to fabricate inverted‐ridge‐waveguide (IRW) lasers with current and lateral optical confinement; the former is provided by a two‐step LPE process which results in a p‐n‐p‐n structure in regions away from the channel, and the latter by a thickness variation of the waveguide in the lateral direction. Threshold currents using broad‐area contacts range from 1 A to 600 mA for 30 and 6 μm, respectively, under pulsed operation at room temperature. The lasers exhibit single filament and clear mode spectrum with currents up to 1.5 threshold currents and a linear power‐current relation up to 2I th.