Current injection GaAs-AlxGa1−xAs multi-quantum-well heterostructure lasers prepared by molecular beam epitaxy

Low-current-threshold room-temperature injection GaAs-AlxGa1−xAs multi-quantum-well (MQW) lasers have been prepared by molecular beam epitaxy. Under pulsed current injection, lasing emission attributed to the n=1 electron-to-light-hole (1 e-lh) confined-particle transition was observed at threshold. Above threshold, lasing emission involving the n=1 electron-to-heavy-hole transition (1 e−hh) became dominant. Single longitudinal mode operation has also been observed for these broad-area MQW lasers. For heat-sink temperatures between 8 and 100 °C, the lasing current threshold Ith for the 1 e−hh transition has an exponential variation with temperature of the form Ith∝ exp(T/T0), where T0=230 °K.