Implementation of energy barrier layers for 1550 nm high-power laser diodes

• Published in: Journal of luminescence Vol. 263; p. 120164
• Main Authors: Veselov, D.A., Pikhtin, N.A., Slipchenko, S.O., Kirichenko, I.K., Podoskin, A.A., Shuvalova, N.V., Rudova, N.A., Vavilova, L.S., Rastegaeva, M.G., Bagaev, T.A., Svetogorov, V.N., Padalitsa, A.A., Ryaboshtan, Yu.L., Ladugin, M.A., Marmalyuk, A.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-11-2023
• Subjects: Carrier leakage; Energy barrier; Laser heterostructure; Carrier leakage; Laser heterostructure; Energy barrier
• ISSN: 0022-2313; 1872-7883
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jlumin.2023.120164

The influence of a thin AlInAs energy barrier on the efficiency of 1550 nm high-power semiconductor lasers efficiency has been experimentally studied. It was shown that the position and number of barriers in an asymmetric laser heterostructure based on a 1.8–1.9 μm thick waveguide has a significant effect on the output optical power. It is shown that in a barrierless structure, the main reason for radiative efficiency decrease is internal quantum yield drop due to the absence of an energy barrier for the type-II heterojunction at the waveguide-p-cladding interface and electron leakage to the p-emitter layer. It is demonstrated that the implementation of single AlInAs energy barrier layer on waveguide-p-cladding heterojunction allows significantly increase laser diode maximum output power. 2 W maximum CW optical power has been achieved from 40 μm aperture laser diode at heatsink temperature 25 °C.
•AlInAs energy barrier layers are crucial to stop the carrier leakage.•Best barrier layer location is between AlGaInAs p-waveguide and InP p-cladding layers.