Enhanced relaxation oscillation frequency of 1.3 μm strained-layer multiquantum well lasers

Dependence of relaxation oscillation frequency (f/sub r/) on the bandgap wavelength of InGaAsP barrier layers (/spl lambda//sub g//sup b/) and number of quantum wells (N/sub w/) were investigated for the first time, for 1.3 μm InGaAsP/InGaAsP compressively strained multiquantum well (MQW) lasers. 1.3 times higher f/sub r/ was confirmed for strained-layer MQW lasers with large N/sub w/ (N/sub w//spl ges/7) and wide bandgap barrier layers (/spl lambda//sub g//sup b/=1.05 μm) at the same injection level, compared with unstrained MQW lasers having the same well thicknesses and the same emitting wavelength. This enhancement mainly results from increased differential gain due to strain effects separated from the quantum-size effect.