W. Stolz

From N isoelectronic impurities to N-induced bands in the GaNxAs1−x alloy

GaNxAs1−x samples with x<3% grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy were studied by low-temperature photoluminescence under hydrostatic pressure and photomodulated reflectance spectroscopy. The transformation from N acting as an isoelectronic impurity to N-induced band formation takes place at x≈0.2%. The N level does not shift with respect to the valence band edge of GaNxAs1−x. Concentration as well as hydrostatic-pressure dependence of the GaNxAs1−x bands can be described by a three band kp description of the conduction band state E− and E+ and the valence band at k=0. The model parameters for T<20 and T=300 K were determined by fitting the model to the experimental data. Modeling the linewidth of the E− transition by combining the kp model and ion statistics leads to the conclusion that the electron-hole pairs are strongly localized.

4.35 kW peak power femtosecond pulse mode-locked VECSEL for supercontinuum generation

We report a passively mode-locked vertical external cavity surface emitting laser (VECSEL) producing 400 fs pulses with 4.35 kW peak power. The average output power was 3.3 W and the VECSEL had a repetition rate of 1.67 GHz at a center wavelength of 1013 nm. A near-antiresonant, substrate-removed, 10 quantum well (QW) gain structure designed to enable femtosecond pulse operation is used. A SESAM which uses fast carrier recombination at the semiconductor surface and the optical Stark effect enables passive mode-locking. When 1 W of the VECSEL output is launched into a 2 m long photonic crystal fiber (PCF) with a 2.2 µm core, a supercontinuum spanning 175 nm, with average power 0.5 W is produced.

Electrical injection Ga(AsBi)/(AlGa)As single quantum well laser

The Ga(AsBi) material system opens opportunities in the field of high efficiency infrared laser diodes. We report on the growth, structural investigations, and lasing properties of dilute bismide Ga(AsBi)/(AlGa)As single quantum well lasers with 2.2% Bi grown by metal organic vapor phase epitaxy on GaAs (001) substrates. Electrically injected laser operation at room temperature is achieved with a threshold current density of 1.56 kA/cm2 at an emission wavelength of ∼947 nm. These results from broad area devices show great promise for developing efficient IR laser diodes based on this emerging materials system.

Ultrafast (GaIn)(NAs)/GaAs vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser for the 1.3 μm wavelength regime

(GaIn)(NAs) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers for room-temperature emission at 1.3 μm wavelength are designed and grown by metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy using dimethylhydrazine and tertiarybutylarsine. Room-temperature operation at wavelengths up to 1.285 μm is achieved with low optical pumping thresholds between 1.6 and 2.0 kW/cm2. Stimulated emission dynamics after femtosecond optical pumping are measured and compare favorably with results on (GaIn)As/Ga(PAs)-based structures.

Gain spectra of (GaIn)(NAs) laser diodes for the 1.3-μm-wavelength regime

Optical gain spectra of (GaIn)(NAs)/GaAs quantum-well lasers operating in the 1.3-μm-emission-wavelength regime are measured and compared to those of a commercial (GaIn)(AsP)/InP structure. Good agreement of the experimental results with computed spectra of a microscopic many-body theory is obtained. Due to the contributions of a second confined subband, a spectrally broad gain region is expected for (GaIn)(NAs)/GaAs at elevated carrier densities.

Tunable high-power high-brightness linearly polarized vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers

We report on the development and the demonstration of tunable high-power high-brightness linearly polarized vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs). A V-shaped cavity, in which the antireflection-coated VECSEL chip (active mirror) is located at the fold, and a birefringent filter are employed to achieve a large wavelength tuning range. Multiwatt cw linearly polarized TEM00 output with a 20nm tuning range and narrow linewidth is demonstrated at room temperature.

5-W Yellow Laser by Intracavity Frequency Doubling of High-Power Vertical-External-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser

We report on the development of a high-power tunable yellow-orange laser. It is based on intracavity frequency doubling of a widely tunable, highly strained InGaAs-GaAs vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser operating near 1175 nm. Over 5 W of continuous-wave output power is achieved and is tunable over a 15-nm band centered at 587 nm. This compact low-cost high-power yellow-orange laser provides an innovative alternative for sodium guidestar lasers, medical and communication applications.

Highly strained InGaAs∕GaAs multiwatt vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser emitting around 1170nm

We develop and demonstrate a multiwatt highly strained InGaAs∕GaAs vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting laser with a free lasing wavelength of around 1170nm. This laser can be tuned from ∼1147to∼1197nm. This low-cost compact wavelength agile laser can potentially provide high-power coherent light in a wide yellow-orange band by the intracavity frequency doubling.

Tunable watt-level blue-green vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers by intracavity frequency doubling

We report on the development and the demonstration of a tunable, watt-level, blue-green, linearly polarized vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers operating around 488nm by intracavity second-harmonic generation. By using lithium triborate crystal, we have achieved over 1.3W continuous wave blue-green power at 488nm with a 5nm tunability.

GaP heteroepitaxy on Si(001): Correlation of Si-surface structure, GaP growth conditions, and Si-III/V interface structure

GaP-layers on Si(001) can serve as pseudo-substrates for a variety of novel optoelectronic devices. The quality of the GaP nucleation layer is a crucial parameter for the performance of such devices. Especially, anti-phase domains (APDs) evolving at mono-atomic steps on the Si-surface can affect the quality of a layer adversely. The size, shape, and possible charge of the APDs and their boundaries depend on the polarity of the surrounding crystal. The observed polarity of the GaP is caused by the A-type double step configuration of the Si-surface reconstruction prior to GaP growth and the prevalent binding of Ga to Si under optimized growth conditions. The polarity of the GaP-layer and hence the atomic configuration at the Si-III/V interface can be changed by altering the growth conditions. With this knowledge, defect-free GaP/Si(001) templates for III/V device integration on Si-substrates can be grown.