Antiguided array diode lasers fabricated with modulated cap thin p-clad structure

Antiguided array lasers were fabricated in thin p-clad, InGaAs-GaAs single quantum-well material. The required lateral refractive index variation was achieved by precisely modulating the thickness of the GaAs cap layer using a novel pulsed anodization/etching technique. Edge-emitting arrays having 20 lasers on 7-/spl mu/m centers with 5-/spl mu/m-wide gain regions were characterized. At 1.2 times the pulsed current threshold (I/sub th/), the central lobe of the lateral far field of the arrays contained about 75% of the beam power and was about twice the diffraction limit (FWHM=0.8/spl deg/). At 10/spl times/I/sub th/, the central lobe contained about 60% of the beam power and was about 1.6/spl deg/ wide.