Bimetallic heatsinks for temperature compensation of diode lasers: prospects for microfabrication

We demonstrate that temperature-dependent strain may be used to stabilize the wavelength, threshold current, and differential efficiency, of a 1.55 /spl mu/m multiquantum well diode laser mounted on a bimetallic heatsink. We have obtained nearly complete stabilization of the modal wavelength, and an equivalent threshold current characteristic temperature of 133 K, over the temperature range of 20-70/spl deg/C. We describe the principles of temperature compensation using thermal stress, review our results, and discuss the problems that remain to be solved.