Visible wavelength, semiconductor optoelectronic device with a high power broad, significantly laterally uniform, diffraction limited output beam

Abstract

A Group III-V semiconductor optoelectronic device provides for visible wavelength light output having a more laterally uniform, high power beam profile, albeit still quasi-Gaussian. A number of factors contribute to the enhanced profile including an improvement in reducing band offset of the Group III-V deposited layers improving carrier density through a decrease in the voltage drop require to generate carrier flow; reduction of contaminants in the growth of Group III-V AlGaInP-containing layers with compositional Al, providing for quality material necessary to achieve operation at the desired visible wavelengths; the formation of an optical resonator cavity that provides, in part, weak waveguiding of the propagating light; and the utilization of a mechanism to provide for beam spreading and filing in a beam diverging gain section prior to actively aggressive gain pumping of the propagating light in the device.