ABSTRACT
Midwave infrared (MWIR) light sources possessing very narrow spectral linewidth and high power output have great potential in applications such as trace-gas monitoring and military countermeasures. Since there is no n-type dopant for antimonides in the Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) chamber used for the growths, the structures in present study are unintentionally doped and specially designed for optical pumping. MBE is the most frequently used growth technique for antimonides and arsenic/antimonide alloys, although Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition has demonstrated the capability of growing high quality GaSb and InAsSb. The heat generated in the active region of high-power MWIR lasers limits the highest operating temperature and degrades quantum efficiency. For electrically injected lasers, contact resistance, series resistance in the cladding and buffer layers, and the relaxation of hot injected electrons in the active region all contribute to the heat generation. Even for an ideal MWIR laser, the thermal relaxation of injected hot electrons in the active region still produces tremendous heat.
