Optical Gain in a Strained-Layer Quantum-Well Laser

The optical gain and the refractive index change of a uniaxially stressed GaAs-AlxGa1-x As quantum-well laser is studied theoretically using the multiband effective mass theory (k p method) and density matrix formalism with intraband relaxations. It is found that uniaxial strain of the quantum well substantially alters the subband structures and the optical gain of the quantum-well laser. In particular, the gain of the TM mode increases while the gain of the TE mode decreases with increasing stress. Thus, the threshold current either decreases or increases with the stress, depending on whether the laser is operating in a TM or TE mode.