Bistability and negative resistance in semiconductor lasers

Journal Article · Fri Jan 15 04:00:00 EST 1982 · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.93010· OSTI ID:6019828

Harder, C; Lau, K Y; Yariv, A

Experimental results of a buried heterostructure laser with a segmented contact to achieve inhomogeneous gain are presented. Measurements reveal a negative differential resistance over the absorbing section. Depending on the source impedance of the dc current source driving the absorbing section, this negative resistance can lead to (i) bistability with a very large hysteresis in the light-current characteristic without self-pulsation or (ii) a small hysteresis with self-pulsations at microwave frequencies. An analysis, which includes the electrical part of the device, leads to an explanation of self-pulsations in inhomogeneously pumped lasers without having to rely on a sublinear gain dependence on injected carrier concentration.

• Research Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125
• OSTI ID: 6019828
• Journal Information: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 40:2; ISSN APPLA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
420300* -- Engineering-- Lasers-- (-1989)
AMPLIFICATION
CARRIER DENSITY
CURRENTS
DATA
DIRECT CURRENT
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC IMPEDANCE
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
EQUIPMENT
GAIN
HETEROJUNCTIONS
HYSTERESIS
IMPEDANCE
INFORMATION
JUNCTIONS
LASERS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MICROWAVE RADIATION
PULSATIONS
RADIATIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES
SEMICONDUCTOR JUNCTIONS
SEMICONDUCTOR LASERS
STABILITY