High pressure measurements on photopumped low threshold Al x Ga1− x As quantum well lasers

• Published in: Journal of applied physics 1983-08, Vol.54 (8), p.4386-4389
• Main Authors: Camras, M. D., Holonyak, N., Coleman, J. J., Drickamer, H. G., Burnham, R. D., Streifer, W., Scifres, D. R., Lindström, C., Paoli, T. P.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0021-8979; 1089-7550
• DOI: 10.1063/1.332677

Data are presented on the continuous (cw) 300 K photopumped laser operation of a low threshold Alx′Ga1−x′As–GaAs (x′∼0.30) single quantum well heterostructure (quantum well size Lz∼60 Å) subjected to high pressure (0–11 kbar) in a simple opposed anvil apparatus. Beyond ∼11 kbar where the central Alx′Ga1−x′As waveguide region undergoes a direct–indirect transition, and the waveguide confinement begins to weaken and deep levels tend to become important, the laser threshold increases rapidly and ‘‘quenches’’ cw 300 K operation. Pulsed 300 K photopumped laser operation of an undoped 121-period AlxGa1−xAs–GaAs (x∼0.5) superlattice in the pressure range from 0–11 kbar is shown for reference. The pressure coefficients of the quantum well heterostructure and the superlattice lasers are comparable (∼11 meV/kbar).