Spectral and power characteristics of electron-beam-excited gallium antimonide lasers

An investigation was made of the spectral and power characteristics of electron-beam-excited gallium antimonide lasers. The investigation was carried out in the temperature range 80–300°K varying the rate of excitation of lasers made of samples that differed in respect of the type of dopant and its concentration. The optimal (from the point of view of efficient laser emission) initial parameters of the crystals were determined. New features were found in the watt-ampere characteristics of the lasers; these were manifested by several regions of rapid variation of the differential quantum efficiency when the pump current density was increased. The bands observed in the recombination radiation spectra of GaSb were interpreted. The observed features of the watt-ampere characteristics of the lasers were shown to be related to details of the energy band structure of GaSb and to the stimulated emission mechanism.