InAs/InGaAsP quantum dots were embedded in laser diode structures grown on (100) InP and tunable lasing has been observed between 1.5 mum and 1.7 mum. We first investigated the dynamics of charge carriers and photons in these laser diodes. It was found that the carriers confined in the quantum dots have discrete energy states like those of a bidimensional harmonic oscillator. The interaction between charge carriers and electromagnetic waves was analyzed through the electrical susceptibility. This has confirmed the possibility of wave amplification if the charge carrier population in the quantum dots is inverted, eventually leading to lasing if enough current is injected. Next, we have studied experimentally three different laser diode structures; their spectral properties and their super linear relation between emitted optical power and injected current demonstrate lasing characteristics. The best optoelectronic performance was obtained for the structure with the deepest charge carrier confinement potential and largest density of quantum dots, but an increase of this second parameter doesn't guarantee an improvement of the performance. At room temperature, a laser threshold current density of 1.1 kA/cm 2 and an external quantum differential efficiency of 9.4% have been measured for this laser diode structure as well as a good internal quantum efficiency of 25% approximately. This efficiency decrease from internal to external was attributed to high internal photon losses with a coefficient of 28 cm-1. Typical increase of the threshold current density with temperature was verified with characteristic temperatures between 52 K and 121 K, but this characteristic temperature abnormally increased above 180 K for two of the three laser diode structures. Spectral tuning potential was assessed by studying the effect of temperature and length of the laser diodes on their lasing wavelength. Promising results incited us to set up an external cavity tunable laser based on our quantum dot laser diodes. A tuning range of 110 nm centered at 1580 nm was reached in a spectral region important for applications of optoelectronic devices in the field of telecommunications.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/29337 |
| Date | January 2006 |
| Creators | Allen, Claudine |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | French |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 180 p. |
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