Low threshold current and widely tunable external cavity lasers with chirped multilayer InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum-dot structure

doi:10.1364/OE.20.003941

Low threshold current and widely tunable external cavity lasers with chirped multilayer InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum-dot structure

Gray Lin, Pei-Yin Su, and Hsu-Chieh Cheng »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 20, Issue 4, pp. 3941-3947 (2012)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.003941

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Abstract

Low threshold and widely tunable InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers are implemented with grating-coupled external-cavity arrangement. Throughout the tuning range of 130 nm, from 1160 to 1290 nm, the threshold current density is not more than 0.9 kA/cm² and no noticeable threshold jump is observed. For a shorter-cavity device, the injection current is kept at a record low value of 90 mA but the tuning range is further extended to 150 nm, from 1143 to 1293 nm. The effect of cavity length on the tuning characteristics is discussed and the strategy for design and optimization of multilayer quantum-dot structure is also proposed.

OCIS Codes
(140.0140) Lasers and laser optics : Lasers and laser optics
(140.2020) Lasers and laser optics : Diode lasers
(140.3410) Lasers and laser optics : Laser resonators
(140.3600) Lasers and laser optics : Lasers, tunable
(140.5960) Lasers and laser optics : Semiconductor lasers
(250.5590) Optoelectronics : Quantum-well, -wire and -dot devices

ToC Category:
Lasers and Laser Optics

History
Original Manuscript: December 15, 2011
Revised Manuscript: January 21, 2012
Manuscript Accepted: January 23, 2012
Published: February 1, 2012

Citation
Gray Lin, Pei-Yin Su, and Hsu-Chieh Cheng, "Low threshold current and widely tunable external cavity lasers with chirped multilayer InAs/InGaAs/GaAs quantum-dot structure," Opt. Express 20, 3941-3947 (2012)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-20-4-3941

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References

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M. Bagley, R. Wyatt, D. J. Elton, H. J. Wickes, P. C. Spurdens, C. P. Seltzer, D. M. Cooper, and E. J. Devlin, “242nm continuous tuning from a GRIN-SC-MQW-BH InGaAsP laser in an extended cavity,” Electron. Lett.26(4), 267–269 (1990). [CrossRef]
H. Tabuchi and H. Ishikawa, “External grating tunable MQWlaser with wide tuning range of 240 nm,” Electron. Lett.26(11), 742–743 (1990). [CrossRef]
C. P. Seltzer, M. Bagley, D. J. Elton, S. Perrin, and D. M. Cooper, “160 nm continuous tuning of an MQW laser in an external cavity across the entire 1.3 µm communication window,” Electron. Lett.27(1), 95–96 (1991). [CrossRef]
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G. Lin, C. Y. Chang, W. C. Tseng, C. P. Lee, K. F. Lin, R. Xuan, and J. Y. Chi, “Novel chirped multilayer quantum-dot lasers,” Proc. SPIE6997, 69970R, 69970R-8 (2008). [CrossRef]
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M. W. Fleming and A. Mooradian, “Spectral Characteristics of External-Cavity Controlled Semiconductor Lasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.17(1), 44–59 (1981). [CrossRef]
P. Eliseev, H. Li, A. Stintz, G. T. Liu, T. C. Newell, K. J. Malloy, and L. F. Lester, “Tunable Grating-Coupled Laser Oscillation and Spectral Hole Burning in an InAs Quantum-Dot Laser Diode,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.36(4), 479–485 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Sugawara, K. Mukai, Y. Nakata, H. Ishikawa, and A. Sakamoto, “Effect of homogeneous broadening of optical gain on lasing spectra in self-assembled InxGa1-xAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers,” Phys. Rev. B61(11), 7595–7603 (2000). [CrossRef]
M. Sugawara, N. Hatori, H. Ebe, M. Ishida, Y. Arakawa, T. Akiyama, K. Otsubo, and Y. Nakata, “Modeling room-temperature lasing spectra of 1.3-µm self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers: Homogeneous broadening of optical gain under current injection,” J. Appl. Phys.97(4), 043523 (2005). [CrossRef]
T. W. Berg, S. Bischoff, I. Magnusdottir, and J. Mørk, “Ultrafast gain recovery and modulation limitations in self-assembled quantum-dot devices,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.13(6), 541–543 (2001). [CrossRef]
A. Markus, M. Rossetti, V. Calligari, D. Chek-Al-Kar, J. X. Chen, A. Fiore, and R. Scollo, “Two-state switching and dynamics in quantum dot two-section lasers,” J. Appl. Phys.100(11), 113104 (2006). [CrossRef]

Abe, M.
Akiyama, T.
Alferov, Z. I.
Arakawa, Y.
Bagley, M.
Berg, T. W.
Bimberg, D.
Bischoff, S.
Brezinski, M. E.
Cable, A. E.
Calligari, V.
Cataluna, M. A.
Chang, C. Y.
Chek-Al-Kar, D.
Chen, J. X.
Chi, J. Y.
Cooper, D. M.
Devlin, E. J.
Ebe, H.
Egorov, A. Y.
Eliseev, P.
Elton, D. J.
Fedorova, K. A.
Fiore, A.
Fleming, M. W.
Fuchs, B.
Fujimoto, J. G.
Hashimoto, T.
Hatori, N.
Hawthorn, C. J.
Hibino, Y.
Huber, R.
Ishida, M.
Ishikawa, H.
Jiang, J. Y.
Jin, P.
Kasahara, R.
Kop’ev, P. S.
Kopchatov, V. I.
Kovsh, A. R.
Krestnikov, I.
Ledentsov, N. N.
Lee, C. P.
Lester, L. F.
Li, H.
Li, L. H.
Lin, G.
Lin, K. F.
Liu, G. T.
Livshits, D.
Lunev, A. V.
Lv, X. Q.
Magnusdottir, I.
Malloy, K. J.
Markus, A.
Maximov, M. V.
Mooradian, A.
Mørk, J.
Mukai, K.
Nakata, Y.
Newell, T. C.
Otsubo, K.
Perrin, S.
Rafailov, E. U.
Rossetti, M.
Sakamoto, A.
Scholten, R. E.
Scollo, R.
Seltzer, C. P.
Shernyakov, Y. M.
Spurdens, P. C.
Stintz, A.
Sugawara, M.
Tabuchi, H.
Tanaka, T.
Tohmori, Y.
Tsatsul’nikov, A. F.
Tseng, W. C.
Ustinov, V. M.
Varangis, P. M.
Wang, W. Y.
Wang, Z. G.
Weber, K. P.
Wickes, H. J.
Wojtkowski, M.
Wyatt, R.
Xuan, R.
Zhukov, A. E.

Electron. Lett.

M. Bagley, R. Wyatt, D. J. Elton, H. J. Wickes, P. C. Spurdens, C. P. Seltzer, D. M. Cooper, and E. J. Devlin, “242nm continuous tuning from a GRIN-SC-MQW-BH InGaAsP laser in an extended cavity,” Electron. Lett.26(4), 267–269 (1990). [CrossRef]
H. Tabuchi and H. Ishikawa, “External grating tunable MQWlaser with wide tuning range of 240 nm,” Electron. Lett.26(11), 742–743 (1990). [CrossRef]
C. P. Seltzer, M. Bagley, D. J. Elton, S. Perrin, and D. M. Cooper, “160 nm continuous tuning of an MQW laser in an external cavity across the entire 1.3 µm communication window,” Electron. Lett.27(1), 95–96 (1991). [CrossRef]
P. M. Varangis, H. Li, G. T. Liu, T. C. Newell, A. Stintz, B. Fuchs, K. J. Malloy, and L. F. Lester, “Lowthreshold quantum dot lasers with 201 nm tuning range,” Electron. Lett.36(18), 1544–1545 (2000). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Quantum Electron.

M. W. Fleming and A. Mooradian, “Spectral Characteristics of External-Cavity Controlled Semiconductor Lasers,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.17(1), 44–59 (1981). [CrossRef]
P. Eliseev, H. Li, A. Stintz, G. T. Liu, T. C. Newell, K. J. Malloy, and L. F. Lester, “Tunable Grating-Coupled Laser Oscillation and Spectral Hole Burning in an InAs Quantum-Dot Laser Diode,” IEEE J. Quantum Electron.36(4), 479–485 (2000). [CrossRef]

IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.

M. E. Brezinski and J. G. Fujimoto, “Optical coherence tomography: High-resolution imaging in nontransparent tissue,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron.5(4), 1185–1192 (1999). [CrossRef]

IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.

H. Li, G. T. Liu, P. M. Varangis, T. C. Newell, A. Stintz, B. Fuchs, K. J. Malloy, and L. F. Lester, “150-nm tuning range in a grating-coupled external cavity quantum-dot laser,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.12(7), 759–761 (2000). [CrossRef]
T. W. Berg, S. Bischoff, I. Magnusdottir, and J. Mørk, “Ultrafast gain recovery and modulation limitations in self-assembled quantum-dot devices,” IEEE Photon. Technol. Lett.13(6), 541–543 (2001). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

A. Markus, M. Rossetti, V. Calligari, D. Chek-Al-Kar, J. X. Chen, A. Fiore, and R. Scollo, “Two-state switching and dynamics in quantum dot two-section lasers,” J. Appl. Phys.100(11), 113104 (2006). [CrossRef]
M. Sugawara, N. Hatori, H. Ebe, M. Ishida, Y. Arakawa, T. Akiyama, K. Otsubo, and Y. Nakata, “Modeling room-temperature lasing spectra of 1.3-µm self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers: Homogeneous broadening of optical gain under current injection,” J. Appl. Phys.97(4), 043523 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Cryst. Growth

L. H. Li, M. Rossetti, and A. Fiore, “Chirped multiple InAs quantum dot structure for wide spectrum device applications,” J. Cryst. Growth278(1-4), 680–684 (2005). [CrossRef]

J. Lightwave Technol.

T. Tanaka, Y. Hibino, T. Hashimoto, M. Abe, R. Kasahara, and Y. Tohmori, “100-GHz spacing 8-channel light source integrated with external cavity lasers on planar lightwave circuit platform,” J. Lightwave Technol.22(2), 567–573 (2004). [CrossRef]

Opt. Express

Phys. Rev. B

M. Sugawara, K. Mukai, Y. Nakata, H. Ishikawa, and A. Sakamoto, “Effect of homogeneous broadening of optical gain on lasing spectra in self-assembled InxGa1-xAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers,” Phys. Rev. B61(11), 7595–7603 (2000). [CrossRef]

Proc. SPIE

G. Lin, C. Y. Chang, W. C. Tseng, C. P. Lee, K. F. Lin, R. Xuan, and J. Y. Chi, “Novel chirped multilayer quantum-dot lasers,” Proc. SPIE6997, 69970R, 69970R-8 (2008). [CrossRef]

Rev. Sci. Instrum.

C. J. Hawthorn, K. P. Weber, and R. E. Scholten, “Littrow configuration tunable external cavity diode laser with fixed direction output beam,” Rev. Sci. Instrum.72(12), 4477–4479 (2001). [CrossRef]

Semicond. Sci. Technol.

A. E. Zhukov, A. R. Kovsh, V. M. Ustinov, A. Y. Egorov, N. N. Ledentsov, A. F. Tsatsul’nikov, M. V. Maximov, Y. M. Shernyakov, V. I. Kopchatov, A. V. Lunev, P. S. Kop’ev, D. Bimberg, and Z. I. Alferov, “Gain characteristics of quantum dot injection lasers,” Semicond. Sci. Technol.14(1), 118–123 (1999). [CrossRef]

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