Analysis of vertical cavity surface emitting laser diodes (VCSEL)

Abstract

The analysis provides important guidelines for optimising the performance of proton-implanted and selectively oxidised vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). An idealised quantum well VCSEL consists of upper and lower Bragg reflectors that are separated by upper and lower cladding layers and active layers of thickness. Bragg reflectors typically consist of an alternating sequence of high and low refractive index layers with quarter wavelength thickness. It is also important that those AlAs-GaAs heterojunctions in the Bragg reflectors that are electrically driven in the backward direction only occur at nodes of the standing wave pattern. Stimulated emission processes depend on the carrier-dependent gain and the photon density in the mode under consideration. Since it is important for the interaction whether the quantum well is placed in an antinode or node of the lasing standing wave pattern, the relative confinement factor has to come into play.