CW performance and life of 1.3μm InGaAsP/InP lasers emitting at high facet power densities

Individual stripe InGaAsP/lnP lasers emitting in a single spatial mode have been operated for times in excess of 7000 h at constant output power levels up to 40 mW (NA 0.5) with no significant increase in drive current and at 60 mW (NA 0.5) with drive current increases of typically 1.2%/1000h. Units have been operated short-term at values of output power and facet flux density of 263 mW and 20MW/cm2, respectively, and life-tested at a constant power of 90 mW (NA 0.5) for times in excess of 6300 h. These results demonstrate the resistance of this laser material to facet degradation, and show a clear advantage over GaAlAs/GaAs lasers of comparable structure which typically show catastrophic facet damage at flux densities of 2–4 MW/cm2.