Optoelectronic devices on novel index surfaces

Nearly all practical optoelectronic devices are fabricated from epitaxial layers synthesized on [001]-oriented GaAs or InP substrates. The primary reason for this choice of substrate orientation is its wide availability and ease of epitaxial growth on it. In recent years there has been a growing interest in exploring other crystallographic substrate orientations. This interest stems from the novel physical properties that are often found in structures grown on substrates other than the (001). In this article we discuss the use of the (112) and the (110) surfaces for the fabrication of two optoelectronic devices that cannot otherwise be fabricated from structures grown on the conventional (001) surface. These devices are: a blue-green second-harmonic laser and a polarization-rotation modulator.