Realizing that vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) are continuously breaking higher bandwidth limits, it is essential to understand their basic material constituting properties and extract their physical characteristics, in order to fine tune their high-speed performance. Throughout the past decade, the device performance was continuously optimized towards higher bandwidths, faster data rates, and efficient operation. Therefore, for a successful further optimization of their dynamic characteristics, the extraction of a reliable set of their physical parameters becomes indispensable. Consequently, the main objective of this work is to provide accurate physical parameter values of cutting-edge high-speed VCSELs. The extraction process of these set of parameters is based on the novel intrinsic and extrinsic dynamic models that were recently developed by our research group. For the intrinsic dynamics, the advanced split carrier reservoir multimode model is employed. Furthermore, the pure intrinsic modulation response is de-embedded from the total measured device response using our recently proposed novel parasitic-network model. Moreover, the extraction of these device physical parameters is based on the device’s performance indicators, such as the relaxation oscillation frequencies and damping coefficients obtained by fitting the intrinsic model to the measured modulation data. Furthermore, since these performance indicators can be expressed in terms of a combination of these physical parameters, a precise estimation of their values and their possible ranges, along with a carefully designed fitting process, is crucial. Consequently, for extracting a reliable set of data, the accurate prior estimation of these parameters was conducted based on the device physical structure and reported material properties, leading to the establishment of an accurate set of parameters along with their possible ranges. These final calculations are based on simple device geometrical considerations, reported physical and material properties and device static performance measurements. Finally, the estimated values and their ranges are further validated by comparing them to ones in standard literature.
Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) have emerged as a pioneering solution for many high-speed data
communication challenges. Therefore, higher bandwidth optical interconnects with data rates in the range of 100 Gbit/s
require directly modulated VCSELs with ultimate speed ratings. The small-signal modulation response of a VCSEL can
be isolated from the entire system, thus providing accurate information on the intrinsic laser dynamics. Until now, it is
assumed that the dynamic behavior of oxide-confined multi-mode VCSELs can be fully modeled using the single-mode
rate equations developed for edge-emitters, even though the deviation between the single-mode based model and the
measured data is substantially large. Using an advanced theoretical approach, rate equations for multi-mode VCSELs
were developed and the small-signal modulation response of ultra-high speed devices with split carrier reservoirs
corresponding with the resonating modes were analyzed. Based on this theoretical work, and including gain compression
in the model, the analyzed VCSELs showed modulation bandwidth around and exceeding 30 GHz. The common set of
figures of merit is extended consistently to explain dynamic properties caused by the coupling of the different reservoirs.
Furthermore, beside damping and relaxation oscillation frequency, the advanced model, with gain compression included,
can reveal information on the photon lifetime and highlights high-speed effects such as reduced damping in VCSELs due
to a negative gain compression factor.
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