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We report on a technique of grading the heterobarrier interfaces of a p-type distributed Bragg reflector mirror to reduce the operating voltages of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). We report VCSELs with lower operating voltages (2–3 V) and record continuous-wave room-temperature power-conversion efficiencies (17.3%). We experimentally demonstrate that by using a parabolic grading and modulating the doping correctly, a flat valence band is generated that provides low voltage hole transport. The low resistance mirrors are achieved using low Be doping, digital-alloy grading and 600 °C growth temperatures.

We measured the increase in threshold currents due to lateral carrier diffusion in InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum-well ridge-waveguide laser diodes. The ridge stripes were fabricated by using both in situ monitored pure Cl2 reactive ion etching and selective wet etching to completely eliminate the spreading current in the conductive upper cladding layer while keeping the ridge sidewalls straight. After comparing the threshold data with a theoretical model, the ambipolar diffusion coefficient is found to be 22 cm2/s in the population-inverted InGaAs layer. This model is based on the calculated optical gain curve and the ambipolar carrier transport in the quantum-well and waveguiding layers. The dependence of carrier lifetime on the local carrier concentration is included in the calculation. Moreover, from another set of devices with the portions of the active layer outside the ridge stripes etched away, the surface recombination velocity is found to be around 1–2×105 cm/s.

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