Optically Pumped Laser Action on Nitride Based Separate Confinement Heterostructures Grown along the (11¯20) Crystallographic Direction

Abstract

The intention of this work is to discuss and report on our research on nonpolar laser structures grown on bulk GaN crystal substrates along the (1120) nonpolar direction. The main advantages of such nonpolar structures are related to the elimination of the built-in electric fields present in commonly used systems grown along the polar (0001) axis of nitride crystals. We demonstrated the optically pumped laser action on separate confinement heterostructures. Laser action is clearly shown by spontaneous emission saturation, abrupt line narrowing, and strong transversal electric polarization of output light. The lasing threshold was reached at an excitation power density of 260 kW/cm 2 for a 700 µm long cavity (at room temperature).