A New Digital OptoElectronic Switch (DOES) Laser

A new laser structure is introduced which is unique in its potential for the optoelectronic integration of lasers and transistors. The laser is based on the combination of conjugate quantum well modulation doped interfaces, such that n-type and p-type inversion channels are available. Overall, the electrical behaviour of the laser is that of a thyristor with the cw operation of the laser being obtained in the low resistance on state. In this paper, the laser is analyzed on the basis of no-k selection to develop the appropriate rate equations. The I-V relations of thyristor are then developed and combined with the optical rate equations of the quantum wells to predict the threshold voltage. Then, the threshold current, the electrical efficiency of each quantum well set, and the overall slope efficiency of the laser are obtained. The results are compared with the corresponding p-i-n laser with the same photon lifetime. In a following paper, the first demonstration of the laser is reported.