Abstract

The large optical cavity (LOC) design was successfully used to control neararid far-field radiation patterns and to increase output power of the first generation of double-heterostructure AlGaAs/ GaAs lasers.¹ The design of modem QW lasers is mostly directed towards minimization of the threshold current density (I_th), which is usually achieved for waveguide thickness (W) around 200-300 nm. To the best of our knowkedge, however, no reliable experimental data has been published that shows the dependency of the laser performance upon waveguide thickness. Note that low I_th and very high power output were demonstrated for 0.8 µm laser diodes with W ≅ 600 nm.²

© 1996 Optical Society of America