GaAs-based InGaAs lasers can now hit the key telecom wavelength of 1.3 µm, thanks to the combined efforts of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden.

    This partnership's edge-emitting design delivers several benefits over commercial InP-based lasers that are deployed in today's networks. These include cheaper substrates, stronger carrier confinement and higher thermal conductivity, which could enable uncooled device operation.

    A metamorphic buffer and a subsequent layer with 7% less indium provided a platform for the growth of an In_0.47GaAs single quantum well that lased at 1337 nm.

    The researchers' MBE-grown graded-index separate-confinement heterostructure has a 1200 µm cavity, a 20 µm stripe width and a threshold current of just 205 kA/cm².

    "Rapid 10 mW," explained Niu.

    The researchers are hoping to team up with a laser manufacturer and are looking to improve device performance. They want to extend emission to 1.55 µm – the key wavelength for telecom lasers.

Source: http://compoundsemiconductor.net/cws/article/magazine/34351

Journal reference
D Wu et al. 2008 Elec. Lett. 44 474.