We have fabricated and characterized lateral current injection (LCI) ridge-waveguide lasers with implanted contacts. Comprehensive optical and electrical measurements have been performed over a wide temperature range (10K to 300K) on two sets of lasers with differing ridge widths and active region structures. Several new phenomena unique to the LCI mechanism have been observed and explained, including a positive differential resistance kink at threshold, and an inverse temperature-dependence of

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... quantum efficiency and threshold current at cryogenic values. Electrodhole mobility disparity, local carrier non-pinning above threshold due to photon-assisted carrier diffusion, and intrinsically higher current densities have been experimentally identified as the major factors governing LCI laser characteristics. The results have important implications for optimum LCI laser design and ultimate performance.