Optically Pumped Cd sub (1-x) Zn sub (x) Te/ZnTe Quantum Well Lasers Grown on GaAs/Si Substrates

Optically pumped lasers emitting near 600 nm at room temperature have been fabricated for the first time in Cd sub (0.25) Zn sub (0.75) Te/ZnTe superlattices. The films are grown on GaAs by molecular beam epitaxy. The threshold pump intensity using pulsed 0.53microns radiation increased from 7 kW/cm sup 2 at 10K to 60 kW/cm sup 2 at room temperature with a temperature dependence T sub 0 = 111K. Lasing is also achieved at low temperatures when GaAs/Si substrates are used, but the superlattices degrade under optical pumping at 100K. Causes of this degradation and prospects for improving the performance of films on GaAs/Si substrates will be discussed.