Radiation degradation mechanisms in laser diodes

Degradation mechanisms are investigated for laser diodes fabricated with different materials and wavelengths between 660 and 1550 nm. A new approach is developed that evaluates laser degradation below the laser threshold to determine the radiation-induced recombination density. This allows mechanisms at high injection, such as Auger recombination, to be separated from low-injection damage. New results show that AlGaInP lasers in the visible region are nearly an order of magnitude more resistant to radiation damage than devices fabricated with AlGaAs or InGaAsP at longer wavelengths.