Two approaches towards a low power solid state laser

Two approaches towards the goal of preparing a low power solid state laser are described. The first approach was an attempt to synthesize a material with the desirable peoperties of rare earth optical emission and the convenience of electrical pumping available to the semiconductor laser. The second approach involved developing, fabricating, and characterizing a semiconductor laser with a very small gain region, the buried heterostructure laser. The first approach involved modifying a chemical vapor deposition reactor designed to grow III-V compound semiconductor materials. While neodymium was successfully transported to the crystalline substrate, the desired Nd doped III-V semiconductor material could not be prepared. The second approach, developing a buried heterostructure laser fabrication technology, required an investigation into state of the art etching technology and selective epitaxial deposition of III-V semiconductors. The results of these studies are presented as well as the fabrication technology of the buried heterostructure. The working devices were characterized and electrical and optical models ear proposed to explain their behavior.