Abstract

In most calculations of optical gain it is assumed that, once captured into the well, carriers adopt quasi-equilibrium distributions specified by quasi Fermi levels, leading to a thermodynamic relationship between gain and emission spectra. This balance is used experimentally to transform measured emission spectra into optical gain [1], and in theoretical computations to obtain the spontaneous emission from the calculated optical gain. There is debate regarding the universality of this relationship, and apart from a comparison of 1.5µm laser structures there has been no wideranging test of this fundamental relation. In this paper we report comparisons of gain and emission spectra over a range of pumping levels and temperatures (20K to 400K) in GaInP/AlGaInP lasers.

© 2000 IEEE