Optically pumped semiconductor laser based on a type-II CdS/ZnSe heterostructure

An optically pumped semiconductor laser based on a type-II CdS/ZnSe nanoheterostructure containing 10 quantum wells (QWs) was studied. The structure was grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy on a GaAs substrate. The lifetime of electron-hole pairs at a low pump level was measured by luminescence decay to be ~10 ns. The peak power of the microcavity semiconductor laser at room temperature and longitudinal pumping by a repetitively pulsed N₂ laser was 7.2 W at a wavelength of 514 nm. The relatively low laser slope efficiency (0.35%) is explained by amplified spontaneous emission propagating along the structure. The peak power and efficiency of the laser in the case of transverse pumping increase to 70 W and 3.5%, respectively.