Double-heterostructure PbS-PbSe-PbS lasers with cw operation up to 120 K

Abstract
Double‐heterojunction PbS‐PbSe‐PbS lasers were fabricated by hot‐wall epitaxy allowing cw operation for heat‐sink temperatures up to 120 K and pulsed operation up to 180 K. The emitted wavelength can be temperature tuned from 8.5 to 6.5 μm for the cw and from 8.6 to 5.8 μm for the pulsed mode. Threshold current densities of less than 1 kA cm−2 were obtained at 77 K.