Extremely wide modulation bandwidth in a low threshold current strained quantum well laser

Abstract

Lasing characteristics of strained quantum well (QW) structures such as InGaAs/AlGaAs on GaAs and InGaAs/InAlAs on InP were analyzed by taking into account the band mixing effect in the valence band. A relaxation oscillation frequency fr, which gives a measure of the upper modulation frequency limit, was found increased three times in a 50 Å In0.9Ga0.1As/In0.52Al0.48As QW structure compared with that in a 50 Å GaAs/Al0.4Ga0.6As QW structure for the undoped case. One of the main factors for this improved frequency bandwidth is attributed to the reduced subband nonparabolicity as well as the reduced valence-band density of state in the strained QW structure. The corresponding lasing threshold current is one order of magnitude smaller than that of the GaAs/AlGaAs QW structure. With a p doping in the QW the fr value increases, and the 3 dB cutoff frequency of about 90 GHz will be expected with an acceptor concentration of 5×1018 cm−3 in the In0.9Ga0.1As/In0.52Al0.48As QW.