We report on the lasing characteristics of three- and five-stack InAsGaAs quantum dot (QD) lasers grown by metal organic chemical vapor deposition. By increasing the number of stacked dot layers to 5;
lasing was achieved from the ground state at 1135 nm for device lengths as short as 1.5 mm (no reflectivity coatings). The unamplified spontaneous emission and Z ratio as a function of injection current were also investigated. While the five-stack QD lasers behaved as expected with Z ratios of 2 prior to lasing;
the three-stack QD lasers;
which lased from the excited state;
exhibited Z -ratio values as high as 4. A simple model was developed and indicated that high Z ratios can be generated by three nonradiative recombination pathways: (i) high monomolecular recombination within the wetting layer;
(ii) Auger recombination involving carriers within the QDs (unmixed Auger);
and (iii) Auger recombination involving both the QD and wetting layer states (mixed Auger);
which dominate once the excited and wetting layer states become populated. © 2007 American Institute of Physics;