AlGaAs/GaAs transverse junction stripe lasers with distributed feedback

Abstract

Transverse junction stripe (TJS) lasers with periodic feedback were fabricated in two geometries. An interferometric and wet chemical etching technique was used to create a feedback grating across the entire pumping region for the distributed feedback (DFB) TJS laser and to create the separate distributed Bragg reflectors/DBR) for the TJS/DBR laser. The TJS/DFB laser was a double heterostructure device grown by liquid phase epitaxy (LPE) and had a third order grating etched in the top ALO.2GaO.8As layer. The grating was buried by growing an ALO.35GaO.65As layer on the grating by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MO-CVD). The TJS/DBR laser was also fabricated in an LPE double heterostructure. The top AlGaAs layer was thinned to 0.1 micron over more than half of the laser so that the grating would be close to the GaAs active layer and optical field. Single mode operation in both configurations was obtained. The thermal shift of the laser wavelength in both cases was less than 1 Angstrom/deg K, compared to the 3 Angstrom/deg K shift of the spontaneous emission peak