Phased array semiconductor lasers fabricated from impurity induced disordering

Abstract

Phased array semiconductor lasers provide fundamental or preferred 1st supermode operation wherein fabrication is accomplished by a single, continuous fabricating process, e.g. MO-CVD or MBE, followed by impurity induced disordering (IID), e.g. utilization of the impurity diffusion technique or the implant/anneal technique as now known in the art. The laser comprising this invention is provided with a relatively thin active region or with a single or multiple quantum well structure in the active region and is fabricated by forming spatially disposed impurity induced disordering regions extending into or penetrating through the active region to form spatially disposed regions capable of providing higher gain compared to adjacent regions not experiencing impurity induced disordering. The adjacent regions without impurity induced disordering contain unspoiled regions that provide high real index waveguiding compared to the adjacent disordered regions with the diffusions in the disordered regions have higher conductivity properties compared to the remaining ordered regions and are, therefore, more efficiently pumped electrically. As a result, disordered regions form alternating higher gain regions offset between regions of nondisordered waveguide regions having higher real index waveguiding properties but lower gain properties, thereby fulfilling the conditions necessary to provide fundamental or preferred 1st supermode operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.