Measurement of gain saturation coefficients in strained-layer multiple quantum-well distributed feedback lasers

Gain saturation coefficients of unstrained- and strained-layer multiple-quantum-well lasers were measured experimentally. These coefficients were higher in lasers that had compressive strain in their active-layer wells: 2.45*10/sup -17/ cm/sup 3/ with unstrained wells and 12.6*10/sup -17/ cm/sup 3/ with strained wells. The higher gain saturation coefficient in lasers with strained active-layer wells is related to their higher linear TE mode gain coefficient. The linearity factor (K factor) between a laser's damping constant and the square of the laser's resonant frequency decreased slightly with the introduction of the strain in the laser's active layer wells. This factor, however, took the value of about 0.2*10/sup -9/ s for each of these lasers.<
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