Power output of 650-nm self-pulsating AlGaInP laser diodes for optical storage applications

Self-pulsating laser diodes operating at a wavelength of 650 nm are required in optical storage devices. Pulsation can be achieved by including saturable absorbing quantum wells in the p-doped cladding layer of an AlGaInP laser. A rate equation model of this kind of device is used to analyze the power output of the pulses by varying the cavity length and the absorber quantum-well configuration. Results indicate that certain performance tradeoffs occur between the power output and other characteristics that are subject to optical storage device constraints.