Spatially resolved and polarization-resolved electroluminescence of 1.3-μm in InGaAsP semiconductor diode lasers

Spatially resolved electroluminescence (EL) has been shown to provide information about internal properties of semiconductor diode lasers through direct measurement. Dark spot defects (DSDs) and dark line defects (DLDs) can be detected along the laser stripe, providing a means for analyzing the devices. The addition of polarization resolution to the spatially resolved EL measurements provides an additional degree of freedom in the analysis. Results from 1.3-μm planar-buried-heterostructure and gain-guided lasers have been obtained and compared.