Study on InGaAsP-InGaAs MQW-LD with symmetric and asymmetric separate confinement heterostructure

Abstract

We studied symmetric and asymmetric InGaAsP-InGaAs 1.55-mum multiquantum-well (MQW) laser diodes (LDs) with highly p-doped layers in the two-step separate confinement heterostructure (SCH). The p-doping in p-SCH suppresses the electron overflow from the MQWs to p-SCH, but it is an origin of free carrier absorption loss. An additional InGaAsP layer inserted inside n-SCH makes asymmetric field distribution and, therefore, reduces the portion of optical field distribution in highly p-doped regions with high optical loss. Compared with symmetric structure, asymmetric SCH LD has low threshold current density, low internal loss, and high and flat slope efficiency with respect to temperature.