Highly Strained Mid-Infrared Type-I Diode Lasers on GaSb

We describe how growth at low temperatures can enable increased active layer strain in GaSb-based type-I quantum-well diode lasers, with emphasis on extending the emission wavelength. Critical thickness and roughening limitations typically restrict the number of quantum wells that can be grown at a given wavelength, limiting device performance through gain saturation and related parasitic processes. Using growth at a reduced substrate temperature of 350 °C, compressive strains of up to 2.8% have been incorporated into GaInAsSb quantum wells with GaSb barriers; these structures exhibited peak room-temperature photoluminescence out to 3.96 μm. Using this growth method, low-threshold ridge waveguide lasers operating at 20 °C and emitting at 3.4 μm in pulsed mode were demonstrated using 2.45% compressively strained GaInAsSb/GaSb quantum wells. These devices exhibited a characteristic temperature of threshold current of 50 K, one of the highest values reported for type-I quantum-well laser diodes operating in this wavelength range. This temperature stability is attributable to the increased valence band offset afforded by the high strain values, due to the simultaneously high quantum well indium and antimony mole fractions. Exploratory experiments using bismuth both as a surfactant during quantum well growth, as well as in dilute amounts incorporated into the crystal were also studied. Both methods appear to be promising avenues to surmount current strain-related limitations to laser performance and emission wavelength.