Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Carrier induced refractive index change in AlGaAs quantum well lasers

Journal Article · · Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.95418· OSTI ID:6459733

Measurements of the carrier induced refractive index change in AlGaAs quantum well lasers are presented which show that the guided mode in single quantum well lasers exhibits a small (..delta..n/..delta..Napprox.-3 x 10/sup -22/ cm/sup 3/) carrier induced change in refractive index. This is more than an order of magnitude smaller than the corresponding value for conventional active layer lasers. The measured ..delta..n/sub A//..delta..N approx.-7 x 10/sup -21/ cm/sup 3/ in the active layers of AlGaAs multiquantum well structures. The measured index changes of the guided mode at threshold (..delta..n/sub th/) are -5.6 x 10/sup -3/ and -7.6 x 10/sup -3/ for the single quantum well and multiquantum well lasers, respectively. This should be compared with a value of approx.1.2 x 10/sup -2/ for conventional active layer lasers. These results suggest that single frequency sources fabricated using real index guided single quantum well active layers may have improved frequency stability under direct current modulation.

Research Organization:
AT and T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey 07974
OSTI ID:
6459733
Journal Information:
Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States), Journal Name: Appl. Phys. Lett.; (United States) Vol. 45:8; ISSN APPLA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English