ISSN:
1089-7550
Source:
AIP Digital Archive
Topics:
Physics
Notes:
Based on two different experiments and an optical field calculation, we show that the free-carrier absorption αfc in Zn(Cd)Se/ZnMgSSe semiconductor lasers is about 4 cm−1 and that it is smaller than that of GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor lasers. We have measured the dependence of the L-I characteristics on the cavity length of double heterostructure (DH) lasers under photopumped operation and of single quantum well-separate confinement heterostructure (SQW-SCH) lasers under current-injected operation. For the DH laser, the total absorption coefficient αi and β×J0 product (β is a gain constant, and J0 is the nominal current density that makes the gain equal to zero) are estimated to be 4.2 cm−1 and 8.6×10 cm−1, respectively. For the SQW-SCH laser, αi, β, and J0 are estimated to be 21 cm−1, 4.23×10−3 cm×μm/A, and 1.9×10−3 A/(cm2×μm), respectively. By calculating the optical fields of these lasers, we have estimated that the absorption in a GaAs substrate is 16.53 cm−1 in the SQW-SCH laser and that it is negligible in the DH laser. We have shown that the large loss in the SQW-SCH laser is caused by both αfc and the absorption in the substrate and that αi in the DH laser is caused only by free carrier absorption.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.357558
