Linear, high-speed, high-power strained quantum-well LEDs

InGaAs/AlGaAs edge-emitting LEDs are shown to be efficient (4% quantum efficiency), linear over four decades of current, and capable of operating in a analog or digital mode at modulation bandwidths exceeding 500 MHz. The spectral width of these LEDs is on the order of 700 AA at the 3-dB intensity points. The device is suited for high-speed backplane and short-distance local area network applications, where fiber dispersion is inconsequential. It appears to be a competitive optical power source for a variety of advanced applications, with speed and power outputs approaching those of laser diodes, but without the complication of a threshold current and associated active stabilization circuitry.<
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