This paper presents results of numerical simulations of a GaAs-based vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser, emitting at 980 nm. These simulations concern the influence of the number of top DBR pairs on the laser’s threshold parameters, as well as the optical loses in the cavity. Moreover, electrical parameters such as the device’s resistance and its capacitance-related temporal characteristics are analyzed as functions of the thickness of the top DBR. The simulations suggest that there is a possibility of a significant reduction in the number of pairs in the top DBR that can be beneficial in certain applications.
In this paper we present the simulation results of an oxide-confined, InGaAs/GaAs based vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser with three different configurations of the oxide apertures. We analyze the impact of the number and position of oxide layers on the carrier distribution in the laser's active region, distribution of the optical modes, and modulation properties.
In the talk we show the process of modeling complete physical properties of VCSELs and we present a step-by-step development of its complete multi-physics model, gradually improving its accuracy. Then we introduce high contrast gratings to the VCSEL design, which strongly complicates its optical modeling, making the comprehensive multi-physics VCSEL simulation a challenging task. We show, however, that a proper choice of a self-consistent simulation algorithm can still make such a simulation a feasible one, which is necessary for an efficient optimization of the laser prior to its costly manufacturing.
A numerical investigation of the current injection into the active region of electrically-pumped vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (E-VECSELs) is presented. To achieve high power of emission, a broad aperture is necessary, but such geometry favors multimode operation as the result of undesired current crowding. To reduce this effect, we propose a novel approach of selectively etched tunnel junctions in the form of coaxial rings. The paper presents the optimization of this novel geometry as an efficient approach for increasing the single mode output power of such laser.
We report on transverse mode discrimination in long-wavelength wafer-fused vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) incorporating ring-shaped air gap patterns at the fused interface between the active region and the top distributed Bragg reflector (DBR). These 60-nm deep patterns were implemented with the aim of favoring the fundamental mode while preserving high output power. The VCSELs under consideration emit in the 1310-nm band and incorporate an AlGaInAs-based quantum well active region, a regrown circular tunnel junction and undoped GaAs/AlGaAs DBRs. A large batch of devices with varying pattern dimensions was investigated by on-wafer mapping, allowing significant statistical analysis leading to conclusions on their typical behavior. We observe experimentally a dependence of the side-mode suppression ratio on the geometrical parameters of the patterns. In particular, we identified a design that statistically increases the maximal single-mode emitted power by more than 20%. Numerical simulations of the patterned-cavity VCSELs based on our fully three dimensional electrical, thermal and optical VCSEL computational model support these observations. They show that patterns with a large inner diameter actually confine the first-order transverse mode and enhance its modal gain. In smaller devices, this mode is pushed out of the optical aperture and suffers larger losses. Optimized parameters were found numerically for enhancing the single-mode properties of the devices with negligible penalty on emitted power and threshold current.
In the following paper a simulation of optically pumped vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSEL) with a
novel approach for the improvement of the heat management is presented. In recent VECSEL structures, it was common
to use one top diamond heat spreader in order to decrease the thermal resistance of the device by redistributing the heat
flow to the lateral regions and thus transporting heat down to the copper heat sink more efficiently. We present here
further improvement of the heat management by eliminating the bottom DBR from the heat flow path and substituting it
for a diamond with a High Contrast Grating (HCG). Hence the active region, which consists of 5 pairs of AlGaInAs
quaternary alloy quantum wells, is sandwiched between two diamond heat spreading layers.
The structure of Si HCG deposited on a diamond provides broad wavelength range in which reflectivity is close to 100%
for the emitted beam for perpendicular mode polarization with respect to the direction of the HCG trenches. The HCG
assures less than 20% reflection and near zero absorption of pumping light, hence it allows for on-axis bottom pumping
scheme and integration of the VECSEL with the pumping laser. According to the simulations 300 μm thick top diamond
heat spreader is enough to assure effective heat dissipation mechanism. Replacing the bottom DBR with the diamond
heat spreader will provide additional 10% reduction of the thermal impedance. The minimum of thermal impedance is
achieved for about 450 μm thick bottom diamond heat spreader.
1300-nm, 1550-nm and 1480-nm wavelength, optically-pumped VECSELs based on wafer-fused InAlGaAs/InPAlGaAs/
GaAs gain mirrors with intra-cavity diamond heat-spreaders demonstrate very low thermal impedance of 4
K/W. Maximum CW output of devices with5 groups of quantum wells show CW output power of 2.7 W from 180μm
apertures in both 1300-nm and 1550-nm bands. Devices with 3 groups of quantum wells emitting at 1480 nm and with
the same aperture size show CW output of 4.8 W. These devices emit a high quality beam with M² beam parameter
below 1.6 allowing reaching a coupling efficiency into a single mode fiber as high as 70 %. Maximum value of output
power of 6.6 W was reached for 1300nm wavelength devices with 290μm aperture size.
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