Multiquantum-well lasers with tapered active stripe for direct coupling to single-mode fiber

We demonstrate narrow beam divergence in 1.3-μm wavelength multiquantum-well (MQW) lasers with an active stripe horizontally tapered over the whole cavity, for direct coupling to single mode-fibers. The lasers have reduced output beam divergence in a simple structure which does not contain an additional spot-size transformer. The fabricated laser shows narrow beam divergence of /spl sim/12/spl deg/, while a low-threshold current of 6.9 mA and a high efficiency of 0.62 mW/mA are realized. Furthermore, a direct-coupling efficiency to a single-mode fiber is -4.0-dB and -3-dB alignment tolerance is /spl plusmn/2.5 μm.