Abstract

Room temperature CW operation has so far been achieved only with AlGaAs heterojunction laser diodes, being the only ones with a sufficiently low threshold current density. The technology is well advanced with the required sub-micrometer layer thickness control being achieved on a routine basis using sophisticated liquid phase epitaxial techniques. Threshold current densities of about 1000 A/cm² in the 8000-9000 Å spectral range are obtained with Fabry-Perot laser structures having active region thicknesses of 0.1-0.2 μm. Lower threshold values (to ~500 A/cm²) are possible with experimental structures which incorporate either two or four heterojunctions.

© 1976 Optical Society of America