Abstract

Quantum-well (QW) semiconductor lasers exhibit interesting and useful properties owing to the quantum confinement in their active regions. Traditionally, these structures are obtained by epitaxial growth of thin (<20-nm) semiconductor films lying in the substrate plane. The QW potential distribution is thus achieved by controlling the thickness and composition of the grown layers. Here, we describe the lasing properties of a new type of QW, formed by segregation of an AlGaAs alloy grown on a nonplanar substrate. The vertical orientation of this self-ordered QW structure leads to lasing with linear polarization oriented normal to the substrate plane.

© 1995 Optical Society of America