A comprehensive VCSEL device simulator

Abstract

This paper deals with the design and implementation of a self-consistent electrothermooptical device simulator for vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs). The model is based on the photon rate equation approach. For the bulk electrothermal transport, a thermodynamic model is employed in a rotationally symmetric body. Heterojunctions are modeled using a thermionic emission model and quantum wells are treated as scattering centers for carriers. The optical field is expanded into modes that are eigensolutions of the vectorial electromagnetic wave equation with an arbitrary, complex dielectric function. The open nature of the VCSEL cavity is treated by employing perfectly matched layers. The optical gain and absorption model in the quantum-well active region is based on Fermi's Golden Rule. The subbands in the quantum well are determined by solving the stationary Schrodinger equation and using a parabolic band approximation for the electrons, light and heavy holes. The photon rate equation is fully integrated into the Newton-Raphson scheme used to solve the system of nonlinear device equations. An efficient numerical optical mode solver is used, that is based on a Jacobi-Davidson type iterative eigensolver. The latter combines a continuation scheme with preconditioner recycling. The practical relevance of the implementation is demonstrated with the simulation of a realistic etched-mesa VCSEL device.