Title :
Effect of internal optical loss on threshold characteristics of semiconductor lasers with a quantum-confined active region
Author :
Asryan, Levon V. ; Luryi, Serge
Author_Institution :
State Univ. of New York, Stony Brook, NY, USA
fDate :
7/1/2004 12:00:00 AM
Abstract :
We develop a general approach to including the internal optical loss in the description of semiconductor lasers with a quantum-confined active region. We assume that the internal absorption loss coefficient is linear in the free-carrier density in the optical confinement layer and is characterized by two parameters, the constant component and the net cross section for all absorption loss processes. We show that, in any structure where the free-carrier density does not pin in the presence of light generation, the free-carrier-density dependence of internal loss gives rise to the existence of a second lasing threshold above the conventional threshold. Above the second threshold, the light-current characteristic is two-valued up to a maximum current at which the lasing is quenched. We show that the presence of internal loss narrows considerably the region of tolerable structure parameters in which the lasing is attainable; for example, the minimum cavity length is significantly increased. Our approach is quite general but the numerical examples presented are specific for quantum dot (QD) lasers. Our calculations suggest that the internal loss is likely to be a major limiting factor to lasing in short-cavity QD structures.
Keywords :
absorption coefficients; carrier density; laser cavity resonators; optical losses; semiconductor heterojunctions; semiconductor lasers; semiconductor quantum dots; semiconductor quantum wells; semiconductor quantum wires; absorption loss processes; free-carrier density; internal absorption loss coefficient; internal optical loss; lasing; optical confinement layer; quantum dots; quantum wells; quantum wires; quantum-confined active region; semiconductor heterojunctions; semiconductor lasers; short-cavity QD structures; threshold characteristics; Absorption; Charge carrier density; Optical losses; Optical scattering; Optical sensors; Quantum dot lasers; Quantum well lasers; Semiconductor lasers; Stimulated emission; Surface emitting lasers; QDs; QWRs; QWs; Quantum dots; quantum wells; quantum wires; semiconductor heterojunctions; semiconductor lasers;
Journal_Title :
Quantum Electronics, IEEE Journal of
DOI :
10.1109/JQE.2004.830207