Fast absorption recovery and wavelength conversion in 1.5mm AlInGaAs MQW lasers

In this work we present experimental evidence for values of τ
_α
below 5ps in reverse biased AlInGaAs mul tiple quantum wells (MQWs) designed to emit at λ ~ 1.5μm. This materials system is widely used for 1.5μm semiconductor lasers due to its superior performance at high temperatures when compared to equivalent structures using InGaAsP. This effect is observed within the gain peak of the material when forward biased, and so presents an ideal system for the integration of gain elements with fast saturable absorbers.