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This study presents the growth and characterization of an 8.1 μm-emitting, InGaAs/AlInAs/InP-based quantum cascade laser (QCL) formed on an InP-on-Si composite template by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). First, for the composite-template formation, a GaAs buffer layer was grown by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxy on a commercial (001) GaP/Si substrate, thus forming a GaAs/GaP/Si template. Next, an InP metamorphic buffer layer (MBL) structure was grown atop the GaAs/GaP/Si template by MOCVD, followed by the MOCVD growth of the full QCL structure. The top-surface morphology of the GaAs/GaP/Si template before and after the InP MBL growth was assessed via atomic force microscopy, over a 100 μm2 area, and no antiphase domains were found. The average threading dislocation density (TDD) for the GaAs/GaP/Si template was found to be ∼1 × 109 cm−2, with a slightly lower defect density of ∼7.9 × 108 cm−2 after the InP MBL growth. The lasing performance of the QCL structure grown on Si was compared to that of its counterpart grown on InP native substrate and found to be quite similar. That is, the threshold-current density of the QCL on Si, for deep-etched ridge-guide devices with uncoated facets, is somewhat lower than that for its counterpart on native InP substrate, 1.50 vs 1.92 kA/cm2, while the maximum output power per facet is 1.64 vs 1.47 W. These results further demonstrate the resilience of QCLs to relatively high residual TDD values. 

Room-temperature, pulsed-operation lasing of 8.5  μm-emitting InP-based quantum cascade lasers (QCLs), with low threshold-current density and watt-level output power, is demonstrated from structures grown on (001) GaAs substrates by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. Prior to growing the laser structure, which contains a 35-stage In 0.53 Ga 0.47 As/In 0.52 Al 0.48 As lattice-matched active-core region, a ∼2  μm-thick nearly fully relaxed InP buffer with strained 1.6 nm-thick InAs quantum-dot-like dislocation-filter layers was grown. A smooth terminal buffer-layer surface, with roughness as low as 0.4 nm on a 10 × 10  μm 2 scale, was obtained, while the estimated threading-dislocation density was in the mid-range × 10 8  cm −2 . A series of measurements, on lasers grown on InP metamorphic buffer layers (MBLs) and on native InP substrates, were performed for understanding the impact of the buffer-layer's surface roughness, residual strain, and threading-dislocation density on unipolar devices such as QCLs. As-cleaved devices, grown on InP MBLs, were fabricated as 25  μm × 3 mm deep-etched ridge guides with lateral current injection. The results are pulsed maximum output power of 1.95 W/facet and a low threshold-current density of 1.86 kA/cm 2 at 293 K. These values are comparable to those obtained from devices grown on InP: 2.09 W/facet and 2.42 kA/cm 2 . This demonstrates the relative insensitivity of the device-performance metrics on high residual threading-dislocation density, and high-performance InP-based QCLs emitting near 8  μm can be achieved on lattice-mismatched substrates.