horn with A / B = 9.17, a / A = 0.15 and b/B = 0.

05, design
vaues that achieve a fair compromise between low sidelobe
levels, beamwidth and aperture size. The semi-flare angle of
the experimental horn was 39 and an experimental radiation
pattern without channel inserts is included for comparison.
The channel sections effectively reduce the radiation sidelobe
levels to a level comparable with those predicted. The inserts
increase experimental 3dB beamwidths, but these lie within
theoretical limits imposed by assumed constant and quadratic
phase across the aperture. The aperture phase error of the
original horn, which causes splitting and broadening of the
main beam at the higher frequency of Fig. 30, is apparently
improved by the modification, which will enable the design of
horns with larger apertures and shorter axial lengths than
standard sectoral horns.
Conclusion: Fitting channel sections to an E-sectoral horn
results in effective suppression of sidelobe levels in the radiation pattern. A finite difference analysis technique enables a
quantitative explanation of measured radiation characteristics
and the prediction of optimum designs for single frequency
and broadband operation.
0. W. ATA
School of Electronic Engineering Science
University of Wales Bangor
Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 I U T , United Kingdom

27th November 1989

now commercially available at output powers of l00mW

CW. Significant progress has also been achieved in the fabrication of pseudo-morphic InGaAs/AlGaAs quantum well
lasers. Demonstration of high CW output powers? increased
and emission to wavelengths
single mode
- ~ all been achieved using InGaAs/
greater than l ~ have
AlGaAs pseudomorphic material.
In this letter we present data on single mode lasers that
operate at 350mW CW output powers, while maintaining
single transverse and longitudinal mode outputs to greater
than 180mW CW. The device characteristics are similar to
GaAs/AlGaAs single mode diodes excluding wavelength
where the InGaAs/AlGaAs lasers operate at 910nm.
The epitaxial structure is grown in an atmospheric metallorganic chemical vapour deposition reactor. The lasing structure consists of (i) GaAs n-type substrate, (ii) A1,.,Ga0.,As
n-type cladding layer, (iii) AI,.,Ga,.,AS undoped confining
layer, (iv) In,.,Ga,.,As undoped active layer (lOnm), (v)
AI,.,Ga,.,As
undoped confining layer, (vi) A1,.,Ga0.,As
ptype cladding layer, (vii) GaAs ptype contact layer. The
cladding layers were grown at a substrate temperature of
81OC, the confining and active layers were grown at a temperature of 700C.
4 pm wide real refractive index lasers with 500pm long
cavities, and facet reflectivities of 95% and 5% on the front
and rear facets, respectively, were operated CW. The light
output as a function of input current is presented in Fig. 1.

T. M. BENSON
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering
Uniuersity of Nottingham
Nottingham, NG7 2RD, United Kingdom

A. MARINCIC
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
University of Belgrade
Bulevar Revolucige 73, IlooO Belgrade, Yugoslauia

Refereaces
1

HAMIO, M., and AL-SULAIMAN, A.: New types of dielectric-loaded

horn antennas, Int. J. Electron., 1983,55, pp. 729-750
MARINCIC, A.: Beam shaping of sectoral and pyramidal horns with
stepped amplitude distribution. Proc. int. conf. on antennas and
propagation, h.1, London, 1981, pp. 328-332
3 MARINCIC, A., BENSON, T. M., and FARHAT, K. S.: Ray theory design
of hyperbolic secant horn, Electron. Lett., 1986, 22, (7). pp.

367-369
4 STEVENSON, A. F.: General theory of electromagnetic horns, J.
Appl. Phys., 1951.22, pp. 1447-1460
5 SILVER, s. (Ed.): Microwave antenna theory and design (Peter
Peregrinus, London, 1984.2nd edn.)
6 DAVID, 1. B., and MUILWYK, c. A.: Numerical solution of uniform
hollow waveguides with boundaries of arbitrary shape, Proc. IEE,
1966,113, pp. 277-284

HIGH-POWER SINGLE M O D E InGaAs/AIGaAs

LASER DIODES AT 910nm
Indexing terms: Lasers nnd lnser applications, Diodes, Gallium
nrsenide

current,

pl1ll)

rn A

Fig. 1 Light output against input current for single stripe InGnAslGaAs
laser diode
lo= 12%

The threshold current is 18 mA, while the differential efficiency

is 72% up to an output power of approximately 250mW CW.
The maximum output power achieved was 350mW CW. This
is the highest reported output power from a 4pm wide single
stripe InGaAs/AlGaAs laser. The only higher reported output
power for a single stripe laser is 500mW CW demonstrated
from a comparable GaAs/AlGaAs single stripe laser.
The far field radiation pattern is shown in Fig. 2. The lowest

ZI

Single mode laser diodes have k e n fabricated from pseudnmorphic InGaAs/NGaAs quantum well epitaxial material
operating up to 350mW CW. The laser output is a single
transverse and longitudinal mode to 180mW. while the spectral output is centred near 910nm.

150 mW c w
100 rnW c w

High-power single mode lasers are of particular interest in

applications which require diffraction limited imaging systems,
including frequency doubling, optical recording, free space
communications and coupling to single mode fibres. Substantial advances have been made in the fabrication of high power
single mode lasers where maximum output powers of 500mW
CW have been demonstrated. Single mode laser diodes are

50 m W c w

Fig. 2 For field radiation patterns from single stripe InGaAslAIGaAs

laser diode

ELECTRONICS LETTERS 15th February 1990 Vol 26 No 4

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233
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~-

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._

MUOR, I. S., GULDO, L. I., Hsw, K. C., HOUINYAK, N., STUTUTNS, W.,
GAVRIUIWC,
P., and WILI. E.: Low-threshold disorder
defined buried heterostructurc strained layer AIGaAs/GaAs/
InGaAs quantum well lasers, Appl. Phys. Letts., 1989, 54, (lo), pp.
913915
6 YORK, P. K., B ~ N I N KK., I., FEXNANDEZ, G. E., and COLEMAN, I. I.:
InGaAs-GaAs strained layer quantum well buried heterostructure lasers by metalorganic chemical vapour deposition,
Appl. Phys. Lett., 1989.54, (a), pp. 499-501
7 TSANG,
w. T.: Extension of lasing wavelengths beyond 0 . 8 7 in
~
GaAsfAlGaAs double hetemstructure lasers by In incorporation
in the GaAs active layers during molecular beam epitaxy, Appl.
Phys. Lett., 1981,38, (9), pp. 661463
8 noun, D. P., w n r m . L I , R. U,, GILBERT, D. B., ELBAUM, L., and
WVEY,
M. G.: Operating characteristics of InGaAsiAlGaAs
strained single quantum well lasers, AppI. Phys. Letts., 1989, 55,
(19, pp. 150-1503
9 swnus, w., GAVRILOWC, P., WILL-,
I. E., M W A NK.,
, and
ZARRABI,
I. H.: Continuous operation of high power strained layer
GaInAsfAlGaAs quantum well lasers, Electron. Lett., 1988, 24,
(24). pp. 149H494
10 O O ~ B E R G L.,
, and c,
M.: Efficient generation of 421nm by
resonantly enhanced doubling of GaAlAs laser diode array emission, Appl. Phys. Lett., 1989,55, (3). pp. 218-221
11 KOZUIVSKY,
w., NABOFS,
c. D., and BYER,
R. L.: Efficient sccond
harmonic generation of a diode laser pumped cw Nd : YAG laser
using monolithic MgO : LiNbO, external resonant cavities, J .
Qunnt. Electr., 1988,24, (6A pp. 913919
12 BAO~,T., DETIWFAD, M. s., and WELCH,
D. F.: Efficient frequency
doubling of a diode laser. Conference on Lasers and Electrooptics, 1989

order transverse mode is shown to operate up to an output

power of greater than 180mW CW. The lateral divergence is
10 full width at half maximum (FWHM). The divergence
perpendicular to the pn junction is approximately 35
FWHM.
The spectral output of the single stripe laser is presented in
Fig. 3. The laser operates in a single longitudinal mode up to
7

2 5 0 m W cw

910

900

COMPARISON OF THREE NUMERICAL

TREATMENTS FOR THE OPEN-ENDED
COAXIAL LINE SENSOR

920

wavelength, nm

Fig. 3 Spectral outputfrom single sfripe InCaAs/AIGaAs laser diode

operating ranges of 180mW CW where the laser deviates from

the lowest order transverse mode. In addition there are
regions of operation where a single transverse mode is maintained at even higher output power levels. The highest output
power at which single longitudinal mode operation was
achieved was 250mW CW. This seems to correspond to the
region where the light output becomes sublinear with input
current. The emission wavelength is near 910nm.
In conclusion, 4pm wide single stripe laser diodes have
been fabricated from pseudomorphic, InGaAs/AlGaAs, epitaxial material. The diodes operate at powers exceeding
350mW CW, while maintaining a single transverse and longitudinal mode up to power outputs of 180mW CW. The spectral output is near 910nm. Such a source may be useful for
creating efficient blue light at 455nm via frequency doubThe authors would like t o thank Ross Parke, Paul Tally,

Tim Earls, TON Tally, David Mehuys, Rob Waarts and Sean
Ogarrio for their support.
D. F. WELCH
M. CARDINAL
B. STREIFER
D. SCIFRES

24th November I989

Spectra Diode Laboratories

80 Rose Orchard W a y
San Jose, C A 95134, USA

Indexing terms: Microwave circuits and systems, Numerical

methods and d e r theory, Microwave measurements

The open-ended coaxial line sensor is commonly used for

non-invasive microwave dielectric measurements. A comparison is made between three mathematical treatments that
allow the reflection coefficient of the sensor lo be derived
from the complex permittivity of the material with which it is
in contact. It is shown that the discrepancies between values
computed by the three methods are much smaller than the
predicted measurement uncertainties. Mappings of permittivity contours onto the complex reflection coefficient plane
are shown.
The open-ended coaxial line sensor, shown in Fig. 1, is commonly used with automated network analysers and other
reflectometers for non-invasive measurement of the complex
permittivity of materials at radio and microwave frequencies.
Equivalent circuits are often used to model the relationship
between the relative permittivity E* of the material and the
measured reflection coefficient r*of the sensor in contact with
the material, where E* = E -is and r*= r exp GO).
However, it has been argued that if numerical analysis is
employed instead of an equivalent circuit treatment, a wider
range of permittivity values can be determined more accurately with a particular sensor over a given frequency range,
a conclusion that was reached on the basis of only a single
flanae

Referencea
1 WELCH, D. F., mmsm, w., and SCIPRES, D. R.: High power single
mode laser diodes. SPIE Laser Diode Technology and Applications, 1989,losJ, pp. 54-60
2 SDL-5410 commercially available lOOmW CW, single mode laser
3 WELCH, D. F., SCHAUS,c. P., m,s,oou~w,
P. L., and STREIFW, w.:
Gain characteristics of strained quantum well lasers, to be
publied in AppI. Phys. Letts.
4 VABUINOVITCH,
E, and ME 0.:Band structure engineering of
semiconductor lasers for o p t i d mmmunications, J. Lightwave
Tech., 1988,6,(8),pp. 1292-1299

I
standard airline

Fig. 1 Open ended coaxial line sensor

ELECTRONICS LETTERS

234
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measurement
sample

15th February 1990

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Vol. 26 No. 4

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