High‐efficiency, continuous‐wave, epitaxial surface‐emitting laser with pseudomorphic InGaAs quantum wells

We report the first continuous‐wave (cw) photopumped operation of surface‐emitting lasers comprising pseudomorphic InGaAs quantum wells. The lasers were grown by molecular beam epitaxy and incorporate epitaxial quarter‐wave AlAs/GaAs mirrors surrounding an active region. In the active region, 50 A InGaAs quantum wells are distributed with half‐wave periodicity to center on cavity standing wave maxima. Lasing is observed from 78 to 250 K in the spectral range 920–950 nm, where the GaAs substrate is transparent. Thresholds were as low as 1.5×104 W/cm2, and overall (differential) output power efficiency was as high as 35% (85%) with up to 60 mW in a low divergence beam. Both periodic gain and biaxial compressive layer strain contribute to the reduced lasing threshold. The laser gain length is only 550 A (11 quantum wells). The possibility of surface‐emitting lasing in single quantum wells is discussed.

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