Single quantum well lead-europium-selenide-telluride diode lasers

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1984 · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.95310· OSTI ID:6806947

Partin, D L

It is desirable to increase the operating temperature of long wavelength lead-chalcogenide diode lasers to simplify cooling system requirements. Recently, double heterostructure Pb/sub 1/-xEu/sub x/Se/sub y/Te/sub 1/-y diode lasers (grown by molecular beam epitaxy) operated up to 147 K cw (180 K pulsed). The output photon energy of these devices is linear with x in the wavelength range 6.6-- 2.7 ..mu..m. The growth of single quantum well lead-chalcogenide diode lasers is now reported for the first time. These devices had PbTe quantum wells with PbEuSeTe confinement layers. The width of the quantum wells, L/sub z/, was varied from 300 to 250 A. Strong quantum effects are observed for L/sub z/ < or approx. = 1200 A because of the small carrier masses (m/sub e/approx.m/sub h/approx.0.04m/sub o/ ). The shift in laser emission energy is in approximate agreement with that calculated from a finite square well potential. At low temperatures (< or approx. =100 K), these lasers appear to operate on transitions between n = 1 states in the conduction and valence bands at threshold. Transitions between the n = 2 states require a higher current which decreases with increasing temperature until the laser switches to the n = 2 transition at threshold. The threshold current then increases relatively slowly with temperature, yielding cw operation up to 174 K (at 4.41-..mu..m wavelength), and pulsed operation up to 241 K (at 4.01 ..mu..m). These are the highest operating temperatures ever reported for lead-chalcogenide diode lasers, and increases their potential usefulness for spectroscopic applications and for long wavelength fiber optics communications.

• Research Organization: Physics department, General Motors Research Laboratories, Warren, Michigan 48090-9055
• OSTI ID: 6806947
• Journal Information: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Vol. 45:5
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
EUROPIUM SELENIDES
LEAD SELENIDES
LEAD TELLURIDES
SEMICONDUCTOR DIODES
CHALCOGENIDES
EUROPIUM COMPOUNDS
LASERS
LEAD COMPOUNDS
RARE EARTH COMPOUNDS
SELENIDES
SELENIUM COMPOUNDS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
TELLURIDES
TELLURIUM COMPOUNDS
420300* - Engineering- Lasers- (-1989)