Short-pulse asymmetric quantum well InGaAs/InGaAsP/InGaP lasers

Summary form only given. In recent years, the development of broadly tunable diode lasers has been a topic of great interest. This interest stems from potential applications in atomic and molecular spectroscopy, as well as trace gas and liquid detection. One of the more common techniques in providing broad tunability is the implementation of asymmetric quantum wells, whereby the quantum well width is varied to provide a range of electronic transitions, and hence, photon energies. These structures have also proven useful in studying laser phenomena such as nonuniform carrier distributions and spectral variations in carrier lifetimes. The long term focus of the present work is the development of moderate power, ultra-short pulse sources aimed at a wide variety of applications. The lasers studied in the work are fabricated by gas source molecular beam epitaxy (GSMBE) of the InGaAsP material system lattice matched to GaAs.