Lead-salt vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasersoperating atλ = 4.5–4.6 µm with optical pumping

With optical pumping, a lead salt vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser has been operated at wavelengths in the 4.50–4.60 µm range at temperatures up to T = 289 K. For a 60 µm × 90 µm pump spot, a device with a PbSe active region and Pb1-xSrxSe/BaF2 quarter-wave mirror stacks was realised which had an unsaturated peak output power of 38 mW at 249 K.