Using semiconductor membranes as a gain medium for lasers has gathered broader interest, as the membrane external-cavity surface-emitting laser (MECSEL) showed to be capable of exceeding the limits of other well-known semiconductor lasers, primarily highlighting the application flexibility of membranes in lasers.
This study examines the use of AlGaInP-based semiconductor membranes in different roles within a surface-emitting laser. The semiconductor membranes themselves are epitaxially grown and wet-chemically isolated from the growth substrate.
The research focuses on:
- Performance and degradation of GaInP quantum well-based MECSEL gain crystals, including the impact of different gain crystal fabrication methods,
- Emission of InP quantum dot-based MECSELs, including a comparison of the QD emission spectra of a bulk chip and a membrane,
- Introducing the membrane saturable absorber mirror (MESAM) for pulsed laser emission by combining an absorber membrane with an individually designed dielectric mirror,
- Development of a grating waveguide structure gain chip design with a grating in the top layer of the membrane and a heat spreader underneath to provide a high reflectivity next to an enhanced coupling efficiency.
Ana Ćutuk
semiconductor lasers MECSEL membrane technology