A Review on the Indium Gallium Arsenide Phosphide Lasers

Abstract

One semiconductor material that is a quarternary compound is indium gallium arsenide phosphide. The substance is essentially an alloy of indium phosphide and gallium arsenide. Near-infrared wavelengths are produced by lasers using indium gallium arsenide phosphide as the active medium. This laser operates at a wavelength of 1.0 to 2.1 µm. The drawbacks of employing compounds based on aluminum were eliminated by using this material for lasers. The material is made more stable by the presence of indium. With a controllable wavelength range of 900 nm to 1.6 µm, this laser is of the tunable kind.[22]

Introduction

A laser is a device that produces light through optical amplification based on stimulated emission, a concept first predicted by Einstein in 1916. The term laser originated from "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation." The first working laser was successfully demonstrated in 1960 by Theodore Maiman, building on the theoretical work of Townes and Schawlow, who had earlier contributed to maser technology.

Laser light is unique because it is coherent, monochromatic, and highly directional, enabling it to be focused into extremely small spots or to remain narrow over long distances. These properties make lasers useful in many fields, including material cutting/welding, medical surgery, printers, barcode scanners, photolithography, fiber-optic communication, entertainment lighting, lidar, and military targeting systems. Modern blue and near-UV semiconductor lasers are also used as compact, high-radiance light sources, including in automobile headlights.

Historically, the development of lasers evolved from earlier masers, which operated at microwave frequencies. After key breakthroughs by Townes, Basov, and Prokhorov (Nobel Prize 1964), researchers sought to extend stimulated emission into the optical range. Despite patent disputes between Townes, Schawlow, and Gordon Gould, Maiman was the first to build a successful optical laser using a ruby crystal. Soon after, gas lasers (He-Ne) and semiconductor lasers were invented, leading to wide commercialization in alignment tools, surgery, supermarket scanners, CD players, and laser printers.

Principle of Operation

Laser action depends on quantum energy levels in atoms. When electrons are excited to higher energy states, they can emit photons either spontaneously or through stimulated emission, where an incoming photon triggers the release of another identical photon. A laser requires a population inversion, where more atoms occupy an excited state than the ground state. This is achieved through pumping with strong light or electric current.

Most practical lasers use three-level or four-level systems, with four-level lasers able to produce continuous beams because they avoid absorption by ground-state atoms. A resonant optical cavity made of mirrors amplifies photons by allowing them to bounce repeatedly through the gain medium, producing a coherent, narrow, and nearly monochromatic beam.

Characteristics of Laser Beams

Laser beams exhibit:

• High coherence (photons with same phase and wavelength)

• Low divergence (strongly collimated)

• Monochromaticity (narrow wavelength range)

• High intensity (can be tightly focused)

Beam properties depend on the gain medium, resonator design, and stimulated emission process. Lasers may operate in continuous-wave or pulsed modes. Ultra-short pulsed lasers can reach extremely high peak powers for femtosecond durations.

InGaAsP Lasers

Indium Gallium Arsenide Phosphide (InGaAsP) is a semiconductor laser material grown on InP substrates. By adjusting composition, it emits in the 1100–1650 nm range, making it ideal for fiber-optic communication.
Different applications use:

• Fabry–Perot lasers for wider tolerance systems

• DFB/DBR lasers for dense wavelength-division multiplexing, requiring precise wavelength control and cooling

These lasers typically operate at wavelengths between 1.0–2.1 µm and are electrically pumped.

Conclusion

In summary, Indium gallium arsenide phosphide is one semiconductor material that is a quarternary compound. The material is basically an alloy of gallium arsenide and indium phosphide. Lasers employing indium gallium arsenide phosphide as the active medium generate near-infrared wavelengths. The wavelength of this laser ranges from 1.0 to 2.1 µm. By using this material for lasers, the disadvantages of using compounds based on aluminum were removed. The inclusion of indium increases the material\'s stability. This laser is of the tunable kind, with a controlled wavelength range of 900 nm to 1.6 µm. [22]

References

[1] Taylor, Nick (2000). Laser: The Inventor, The Nobel Laureate, and The Thirty-Year Patent War. Simon & Schuster. p. 66. ISBN 978-0684835150. [2] Ross T., Adam; Becker G., Daniel (2001). Proceedings of Laser Surgery: Advanced Characterization, Therapeutics, and Systems. SPIE. p. 396. ISBN 978-0-8194-3922-2. [3] \"December 1958: Invention of the Laser\". aps.org. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2022 [4] Semiconductor Sources: Laser plus phosphor emits white light without droop\". November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on June 13, 2016. Retrieved February 4, 2019. [5] Laser Lighting: White-light lasers challenge LEDs in directional lighting applications\". February 22, 2017. Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019. [6] How Laser-powered Headlights Work\". November 7, 2011. Archived from the original on November 16, 2011. Retrieved February 4, 2019. [7] Laser light for headlights: Latest trend in car lighting | OSRAM Automotive\". Archived from the original on February 7, 2019. Retrieved February 4, 2019. [8] Heilbron, John L. (March 27, 2003). The Oxford Companion to the History of Modern Science. Oxford University Press. pp. 447. ISBN 978-0-19-974376-6. [9] Bertolotti, Mario (October 1, 2004). The History of the Laser. CRC Press. pp. 215, 218–219. ISBN 978-1-4200-3340-3. [10] McAulay, Alastair D. (May 31, 2011). Military Laser Technology for Defense: Technology for Revolutionizing 21st Century Warfare. John Wiley & Sons. p. 127. ISBN 978-0-470-25560-5. [11] Renk, Karl F. (February 9, 2012). Basics of Laser Physics: For Students of Science and Engineering. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 4. ISBN 978-3-642-23565-8. [12] LASE\". Collins Dictionary. Retrieved January 6, 2024. [13] \"LASING\". Collins Dictionary. Retrieved January 6, 2024. [14] Strelnitski, Vladimir (1997). \"Masers, Lasers and the Interstellar Medium\". Astrophysics and Space Science. 252: 279–287. Bibcode:1997Ap&SS.252..279S. doi:10.1023/ [15] Chu, Steven; Townes, Charles (2003). \"Arthur Schawlow\". In Edward P. Lazear (ed.). Biographical Memoirs. Vol. 83. National Academy of Sciences. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-309-08699-8 [16] Al-Amri, Mohammad D.; El-Gomati, Mohamed; Zubairy, M. Suhail (December 12, 2016). Optics in Our Time. Springer. p. 76. ISBN 978-3-319-31903-2. [17] Hecht, Jeff (December 27, 2018). Understanding Lasers: An Entry-Level Guide. John Wiley & Sons. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-119-31064-8. [18] https://www.ulsinc.com/learn [19] https://www.fiberoptics4sale.com/blogs/wave-optics/semiconductor-laser-physics [20] https://www.szlaser.com/index.php/wiki/laser-physics/ [21] https://www.britannica.com/technology/laser [22] https://www.azooptics.com/Article.aspx?ArticleID=519 [23] https://www.globalspec.com/reference/13705/160210/chapter-9-11-6-ingaasp-lasers-for-fiber-optic-systems

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Muhammad Arif Bin Jalil. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.