Growth of InGaAs/InAlAs superlattices for strain balanced quantum cascade lasers by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract

This study investigated the molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth conditions of strain-balanced (SB) In0.669GaAs/In0.362AlAs superlattices (SLs) for SB quantum cascade lasers (QCLs). The growth modes and properties of SB SLs are strongly affected by the growth conditions. The properties of the SB SLs were evaluated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) analysis. Following the establishment of optimized conditions for SB SLs growth, SB QCL were grown. The HRXRD analysis and trans- mission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements showed that the grown samples exhibited abrupt interfaces and good structural quality. An epitaxial wafer was processed into a Fabry-Perot cavity with a ridge structure. The device operated in pulsed mode emitting similar to 4.7 mu m at room temperature with a peak power of 650 mW and a slope efficiency of 870 mW/A.