Interband cascade laser operating cw to 257 K at λ=3.7 μm

A five-stage interband cascade laser with 12 mu m ridge width and Au electroplating for improved epitaxial-side-up heat sinking operates cw to a maximum temperature of 257 K, where the emission wavelength is 3.7 mu m. The device emits 100 mWfacet for cw operation at 80 K, 54 mW at 200 K, and 10 mW at 250 K. The beam quality is within twice the diffraction limit for injection currents up to 14 times the lasing threshold at 120 K. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.