High-power 1.5-/spl mu/m InGaAsP slab-coupled optical waveguide amplifiers and lasers

This study demonstrates that the large-mode slab-coupled optical waveguide concept can be applied to semiconductor optical amplifiers as well as to lasers. The (slab-coupled optical waveguide laser) SCOWL concept is extended to 1.5 /spl mu/amplifiers with mode-sizes that are compatible with standard SMF-28 fiber for simplified coupling. The performance of these initial devices is primarily limited by reduction in efficiency at high current. This limitation can be reduced through improved design of the heterobarriers that provide carrier confinement.