Novel chirped multilayer quantum-dot lasers

Abstract

Chirped multilayer (N=10) QD lasers with 2-, 3- and 5-layer of longer-, medium-, and shorter-wavelength QD stacks, respectively, were grown in this work. Low threshold current density and high saturated modal gain were achieved in this specially designed QD structure. Empirical gain-current analysis was performed on this chirped multilayer QD structure for the first time. It was consistent with our spectral observations and provided valuable information on carrier recombination in chirped multilayer QD structure. Two novel spectral characteristics were discovered also for the first time. First, simultaneous two-wavelength lasing around threshold was observed under particular gain-loss condition at this specific multilayer structure of QD stacking numbers. Second, at cryogenic temperature, simultaneous two-wavelength lasing emissions switched from longer-wavelength lasing first to shorter-wavelength lasing first with increasing current injection. Non-uniform carrier distribution among chirped multilayer QD structure is evident at low temperature below 200 K from our analysis.