EXTENDED WAVELENGTH (1.0 to 1.3 μm) InGaAs/GaAs QUANTUM DOT GaAs-BASED VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING AND LATERAL-CAVITY EDGE-EMITTING LASERS

An important advance in InGaAs/GaAs quantum dot lasers has been the demonstration of lasing at wavelengths significantly longer than that possible using InGaAs strained quantum wells, extending beyond 1.3 μm. These fully GaAs-based active regions are compatible with commercial vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) technology based on selective oxidation, and offer novel performance due to their three-dimensional electronic confinement. This chapter reviews the status of long wavelength quantum dot edge-emitting lasers and VCSELs, and presents some of the new physical principles needed to understand their novel device characteristics.