Room-temperature continuous-wave operation in the telecom wavelength range of GaSb-based lasers monolithically grown on Si

We report on electrically pumped GaSb-based laser diodes monolithically grown on Si and operating in a continuous wave (cw) in the telecom wavelength range. The laser structures were grown by molecular-beam epitaxy on 6 degrees-off (001) substrates. The devices were processed in coplanar contact geometry. 100 mu m x 1 mm laser diodes exhibited a threshold current density of 1 kA/cm(-2) measured under pulsed operation at 20 degrees C. CW operation was achieved up to 35 degrees C with 10 mu m x 1 mm diodes. The output power at 20 degrees C was around 3 mW/uncoated facet, and the cw emission wavelength 1.59 mu m, in the C/L-band of telecom systems. (C) 2017 Author(s). All article content, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license.