From measurements of the threshold current and lasing energy as a function of pressure in InGaAsP/InP, AlGaInAs/InP and GaInNAs/GaAs based multiple quantum well lasers we determine the relative importance of the monomolecular, radiative and Auger recombination processes. For the InP based devices, we find that a simple combination of radiative and non-radiative Auger recombination can fully explain the pressure dependence of the threshold current where the threshold carrier density is approximately constant as a function of pressure. For the GaInNAs/GaAs devices we observe a large increase in threshold current with pressure. This we show is due to the interaction of the nitrogen level with the conduction band which gives rise to an increased conduction band effective mass resulting in an increase in threshold carrier density of ~12% over 10 kbar. This large increase in n th increases the monomolecular, radiative and unusually, the Auger recombination current with pressure explaining the large increase in threshold current with pressure.1 Introduction The development of cheap, temperature-insensitive lasers operating around 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm has for many years been the subject of great attention in the optoelectronics community. Due to the recent emergence and increased demand for metro and Cable Television (CATV) applications, research into efficient devices operating at these wavelengths has gained considerable momentum. The development of 1.3 µm lasers has grown relatively in importance as demand continues for short-haul communications links. In addition, semiconductor lasers operating over the range 1.4 µm to 1.5 µm are becoming of interest as laser pump sources for Raman amplifiers. The III-V materials system InGaAs(P)/InP has been successfully used to produce lasers at both 1.3 µm and 1.55 µm. In spite of the commercial success of these devices, they remain far from ideal due to material and structural dependent problems such as Auger recombination, optical losses and carrier leakage [1]. These give rise to both higher than optimum threshold current densities and high temperature sensitivity over the required temperature range of operation, (typically -4 0 °C to +80 °C), requiring complex and expensive temperature control circuitry. Alternative improved materials have been sought after to overcome these problems.