980 nm QW Micro-Lasers With Ultra-Low Threshold

980 nm lasers, critical for pumping erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs) in optical communication systems, are also gaining traction in emerging biological applications. To achieve dense integration and low power consumption, we developed high-performance 980 nm micro-lasers on both GaAs and Si substrates. This work combines quantum well (QW) active regions with micro-cavities, including micro-ring lasers (MRLs) and micro-disk lasers (MDLs) with optimized metal designs. Advanced passivation techniques were applied to suppress sidewall surface recombination, significantly improving laser performance. Here, we report the first room-temperature continuous-wave (CW) operation of electrically pumped QW micro-lasers at 980 nm. Achieving a low CW threshold current of 2.4 mA and operation at elevated temperatures exceeding 95 °C (measurement setup limit), the lasers also demonstrated sub-milliamp thresholds in pulsed mode. The optimized micro-lasers exhibited little degradation over six months of storage, showing stability. We discuss the limitations of QW micro-lasers, corresponding solutions, and the underlying physics. With their small footprint, low thresholds, and stable performance under preliminary tests, QW micro-lasers are promising on-chip light sources for dense photonic circuit integration.