High‐pressure studies of the recombination processes, threshold currents, and lasing wavelengths in InAs/GaInAs quantum dot lasers

The threshold current of broad area GRINSCH InAs quantum dot (QD) lasers has been measured as a function of hydrostatic pressure in the range of 0–12 kbar. The laser emission photon energy, E laser , increases linearly with pressure, p , at 10.1 meV/kbar and 8.3 meV/kbar for 980 nm and 1.3 μm QD lasers, respectively. For the 980 nm QD lasers the threshold current increases with pressure at a rate proportional to the square of the photon energy, E 2 laser . However, the threshold current of the 1.3 μm QD laser decreases by 26% over a 12 kbar pressure range, demonstrating the importance of the Auger recombination in 1.3 μm QD lasers. The results are discussed in the framework of a theoretical model based on the electronic structure and radiative recombination calculations carried out using an 8 × 8 k · p Hamiltonian.