Fabrication and performance of 1.3-μm vertical cavity surface emitting lasers with InGaAs quantum well active regions grown on GaAs substrates

摘要

We describe the development of long-wavelength InGaAs/GaAs vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). Using highly strained double-quantum wells (DQWs) in combination with negative gain-cavity detuning we have been able to realise such VCSELs with emission wavelength up to 1300 nm. High-performance device characteristics include mW-range output power, mA-range threshold currents, 10 Gbit/s data transmission and very good temperature stability with continuous-wave operation up to at least 140°C. Singlemode emission is realised using an integrated mode filter consisting of a patterned silicon layer on the out-coupling mirror surface, yielding output power and threshold currents for 1270-nm devices of 1.2 - 0.5 mW and 2.3 - 0.6 mA, respectively, over a temperature interval of 10 - 140°C. Multimode devices have been found to deliver more than 2 mW at 1290 nm. Preliminary lifetime measurements do not reveal any intrinsic reliability problems related to the highly strained quantum wells.