Semiconductor laser array fabricated by Nd:YAG laser-induced quantum well intermixing

Selective area CW Nd:YAG laser annealing of GaInAsP/InP quantum well (QW) structures has been investigated as a possible route towards the fabrication of monolithically integrated photonic circuits. Laser irradiation of a 5 QW laser structure, originally designed to yield lasers emitting at 1.5 micrometers , yielded material having a continuously changing band-gap ranging from 1.5 to 1.38 micrometers over the distance of about 3 mm. Bars with arrays of broad area lasers, having lengths from 300 to 600 micrometers , were fabricated form the processed materials. An individual bar comprised lasers operating typically between 1.4 and 1.5 micrometers . The lasers showed stable threshold current density and quantum efficiency as function of the operating wavelength. This demonstration indicates that the applied technology has the potential to realize the cost-effective fabrication of advanced photonic devices and photonic integrated circuits.