An optically pumped ZnO distributed feedback laser operating at 383 nm has been designed, fabricated and characterized. Single mode operation was observed for a wide temperature range between 10 and 270 K. In order to avoid technologically difficult etching of ZnO, a 3rd order diffraction grating was dry-etched into an additional 120 nm-thick Si₃N₄ layer deposited on the ZnO active region. The spectral linewidth of the laser emission was 0.4 nm, whereas an optical pump threshold intensity of 0.12 MW/cm² and a peak output power of 14 mW were seen. The temperature tuning coefficient of the ZnO refractive index was determined from wavelength vs. temperature measurements; a value of 9 × 10^-5 K^-1 was found, in good agreement with literature values.

Date Published: 15 February 2008
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 6895, Zinc Oxide Materials and Devices III, 68950J (15 February 2008);

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 6895:
Zinc Oxide Materials and Devices III
Ferechteh Hosseini Teherani; Cole W. Litton, Editor(s)