Temperature dependence of threshold current in GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well lasers

Abstract

We have calculated the threshold current and its temperature (T) dependence in the range 200–400 K for AlGaAs quantum well lasers with 25-Å-wide GaAs wells using a model which includes lifetime broadening of the transitions and broadening of the density of states function by fluctuations in the well width. The threshold current varies approximately linearly with T and the principal effect of broadening is to increase the threshold current causing a reduction in the fractional change of current with temperature. The apparent value of the parameter T0 is increased to ≊400 K, compared with ≊320 K without broadening. The calculations are compared with experimental data.