Optically pumped (GaIn)As/Ga(PAs) vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers with optimized dynamics

We present a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser structure optimized for fast intrinsic emission dynamics, using the strain-compensated (GaIn)As/Ga(PAs) material system with a 2 lambda sin-type cavity. The high quality of the epitaxial growth is revealed by the large normal mode splitting of 10.5 meV found in reflectivity measurements. The fast dynamical response of our structure after femtosecond optical excitation at 30 K yields a pulse width of 3.2 ps and a peak delay of only 4.8 ps. A structure designed for laser emission at higher temperatures exhibits picosecond dynamics at room temperature. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)00610-5].